The Howl of a Growlithe
by Zarla
Summary: Ella E is on a quest for only one Pokémon. A Growlithe. This obsession leads her to a massacre, gets her a murderer out for her life, and an encounter with the embodiment of evil.
1. Abuse

Chapter 1  
  
"A Bulbasaur named Charles"  
  
  
Ella E yawned, sitting up in her bed. She looked out the window, and saw dark storm clouds. They were thick and heavy looking, seeming dangerously low. She could almost see them rumbling.  
  
"Figures it would rain today." she thought bitterly to herself, as she slid into some slippers and got up. She streched and changed. She probably had plenty of time. She looked at her clock. It was 6:30. She did have plenty of time. She grabbed a hat her cousin, Radic, had given her, and placed it snugly on her head. She stared at herself in the mirror.  
  
She was a young, 10 year-old girl with sandy-blond hair and greenish-brown eyes. She was sort of stocky, but she was strong. She pulled on a green vest and some gloves, and pulled on a large coat. It was going to be cold.  
  
"Ella? Ella E! Are you awake?" She could hear her mom calling from downstairs.  
  
"Yeah Mom." Ella E called back. She began searching her room, looking for her guide.She knew she would get a Pokédex today, along with her first Pokémon, but she trusted her guide more. It had pictures of her favorite Pokémon. Growlithe.  
  
She flipped the book open to a worn page, of a Growlithe sitting alert. She hugged it to her happily. Oh, how she loved Growlithe! And that was why she was leaving today...to get herself a Growlithe.  
  
Oh sure, she told her parents she was going to be the "Greatest Pokémon Trainer", but that was just a cover-up. Her cousin's friend Red was champion anyway, and she didn't want to become enemies with him. All she wanted from her Pokémon career was Growlithe.  
  
She had heard stories of it's undying loyalty, it's ability to leap into burning buildings to rescue people, the incredible love it showed it's owners. Oh, how she wanted one of her very own!  
  
She had made the mistake of telling her sister, Atelli that one day.  
  
Atelli was older then she was, and she told her that before Atelli left to go on her Pokémon journey.  
  
"Ella, you are truly obsessed! A Pokémon journey is not just for one Pokémon! You have to catch lots so you can beat other people!"  
  
"I don't want to beat other people..." Ella E had protested, "I just want my Growlithe."  
  
"It's part of training Pokémon, Ella E. I love Dewgong, sure, but I'm not only going out to get one. It's a beautiful day! I'm going to catch them all!"  
  
Ella E had only grumbled to herself. Her sister always got to do things first, always got the better things. At least she was comforted by the fact her sister would never get one of her precious Growlithes. They avoided her. Instead, she got Vulpix. It was a situation that made them both happy.  
  
But now, Ella E could escape the dreariness of their home, the dreariness of the day itself, to find the light of her life. Her Growlithe.  
  
She had already planned out it's name. Growlissa. How she loved the sound of that! Growlissa!  
  
She knew Prof. Oak didn't give out Growlithe's as starting Pokémon, but she didn't care. All she would use it for was to catch her Growlithe.  
  
She ran downstairs, gulped down her breakfast, and headed down the street. She didn't say goodbye to her mother, and she didn't care. Her mother thought Growlithe was annoying and loud, and spent most of her time with her Meowth's and Persians.  
  
Ella E sneezed just thinking about it. Her luck to be stuck in a family obsessed with Meowth's and Persians!  
  
She ran into Prof. Oaks lab, finding only one person ahead of her.  
  
Caleb.  
  
Caleb was her "rival". It had been set up by both their parents, to help their children get a sense of competition as they were training, to help them work harder.  
  
In fact, Caleb wasn't all that bad of a boy. He was fairly decent, and him and Ella E would have probably been friends, if it weren't for the fact they had to be enemies.   
  
Usually, the two children wouldn't find out it was a all a setup until their parents though they were old enough to handle it. But Atelli, after she had almost finished her journey, came back one day and told Ella E. Ella E had in turn told Caleb, but she was pretty sure he knew already.  
  
What gave those parents those crazy ideas to try and CREATE enemies for their children? Ella E frowned. She knew that a little competition was a healthy, but choosing OUT a rival? She almost wished she didn't know. The other kids starting today didn't know. Except Caleb. She sometimes wished she could share in their ignorance. They thought their hatred was their own, but it was just another annoying plan of their parents. Ella E sighed, then smiled. She would be free today!  
  
"What're you gonna get, Caleb?" Ella E asked, smiling. Caleb turned around, flashed a brief smile, then tried to change it to a frown. He didn't get quite there though. It stopped at a halfway point.  
  
"I don't know. It depends on what you pick. Why don't you go first? Mom told me to choose the one that you would be weak against." Caleb said, sounding sort of sad. He told his parents he knew, and now they gave him advice he didn't want. Ella E could relate.  
  
"Alright. I'll go first. Don't worry, I won't pick one that's too hard." Ella E said. She stepped in front of Caleb, noticing some other kids and their "rivals" entering. They seemed glad to be early.  
  
"Why, hello Ella E!" Professor Oak said, smiling. "I haven't seen you since last week when you asked if I had any more Growlithe pictures!"  
  
"Do you?" Ella E asked, her eyes shining.  
  
"Only this one." Prof. Oak reached under his desk and drew out a picture of a Growlithe in mid-leap, about to attack. Ella E looked at, and shoved it in her pocket. She would study it more carefully later. She looked at the three Pokéballs on Prof. Oak's desk.  
  
"Prof. Oak, shouldn't you have more Pokémon to give away?" Ella E asked.  
  
"Oh, I do. This Is Bulbasaur, Squirtle, and Charmander. I have others, but their not as rare. Staryu, Spearow, Pidgey, Rattata...you get the idea."  
  
"Hmmm..." Ella E said, looking at the three balls. They were each engraved with the Pokémon's name. She knew what the three Pokémon were, because of her guide, and she knew their attacks too. She needed something that wouldn't hurt her Growlithe too much, something that could put it to sleep harmlessly...  
  
"Bulbasaur." She said, picking up the ball. It burst open. Ella E jumped back, a bit frightened. She had never actually seen a Pokéball do that, especially when it was in her hand.  
  
"Bulbasaur!" her new Pokémon said, grinning on the floor.  
  
"Do you want to give it a Nickname?" Prof. Oak asked.  
  
"...Charles. I'm gonna call it Charles."  
  
"Charles?" Prof. Oak said, looking slightly surprised.  
  
"I like that name." Ella E said indignantly. "C'mere Charles!" she called to the Bulbasaur.  
  
"Bulba bulba saur? Saur!" it said, leaping into her arms and licking her face. She laughed. She wondered if her Growlithe would be just as loving.  
  
"It likes it too!" Ella E said, smiling. Prof. Oak laughed.  
  
"Fine, it's name is now Charles. Here's a Pokédex and some Pokéballs. 5, to be exact. I hope you catch your dream Growlithe!"  
  
"Oh, I will." Ella E said confidently, staring into her newly-christened Bulbasaur's eyes. Charles stared back at her, surprised at the determination that shone beyond those glimmering green-brown eyes. "I will."  
  
  
Chapter 2  
  
"Charles and Charmander Go Through Some Vicious Training"  
  
  
Ella E was walking out of the Pokécenter, down the road she hoped led somewhere where she could catch her precious Growlithe.  
  
"Ella E! Hey, Ella E!" she heard Caleb call from behind her. She turned. She was holding Charles in her arms. She hadn't actually fought anything yet, but she was sure she would soon.  
  
She was right.  
  
"Ella E..." Caleb panted. "My Mom...told me...I needed to...battle you!"  
  
Ella E's mom had told her the same thing, so she nodded.  
  
"You got Charmander, right?"  
  
"Yup!"  
  
"Did you name it anything?"  
  
"Should I have?" Caleb said, blinking. Ella E sighed.  
  
"I suppose not. C'mon, let's go."  
  
She dropped Charles to the ground.  
  
"Bulba!" it said, annoyed.  
  
"Go Charles." She said, without much excitement. Caleb sat down, to regain his breath. He threw the ball weakly.  
  
"Go, Charmander." He wheezed.  
  
"Char char!" it said, in it's sickeningly cute and high voice. Ella E grimaced. She had never heard a Charmander before, and was utterly surprised. She was glad her Growlithe sounded much better, as she had downloaded clips of it barking and howling from the the internet at her computer at home.  
  
"Charles, Tackle." she said, sounding bored. She sat down. Both the Charmander and the Bulbasaur seemed dissapointed at the lack-luster of their trainers when they were battling for the first time. They should be cheering them on!  
  
Charles walked up the Charmander and nudged it, moving it a tiny bit.  
  
"Charles, hit it HARD, you idiot!" Ella E shouted angrily. She wasn't going to be beaten by any other fire Pokémon then Growlithe! She had just realized how humiliating that would be!  
  
"Bulba..." Charles said, wincing. At least it was getting attention. Negative attention, sure, but attention.  
  
"Charmander..scratch..." Caleb panted. The Charmander showed it's tiny claws.  
  
"Mander..." it said, sounding as bored as it's trainer. it barely touched the Bulbasaur.  
  
"Charmander! Do it right!" Caleb said, sounding as angry as Ella E.  
  
"Chaaar..." The Charmander whined, cowering. At least it was getting attention too.  
  
So it went. Each trainer shouted insults and cruel words at each of their Pokémon, until Charles and Charmander were both shaking and weak. They refused to get up.  
  
"Get up! Get up Charles!" Ella E said angrily. "A Growlithe would get up!"  
  
"Charmander, get off your tail! Don't set the grass on fire, you idiot!"  
  
Finally, the two Pokémon closed their eyes, sat absolutely still, and wouldn't move.  
Ella E felt like kicking the stupid Bulbasaur! How dare it not listen to her! A Growlithe would have! And this Bulbasaur was a poor replacement.  
  
Ella E reached down and picked Charles up, squeezing it as she did.  
  
"Saur!" it wheezed, surprised.  
  
Caleb grabbed his Charmander's paw tightly, so tightly it squealed, and began dragging it off.  
  
"Don't worry, Ella E! Once I train this weakling into a real Pokémon, it will know how to fight! Then we can finally battle!"  
  
Caleb raised the Charmander by the paw up to eye-level glaring at it. It whimpered as it's arm was pulled painfully tight, and nodded fearfully.  
  
Ella E, likewise, raised her Bulbasaur to eye-level.  
  
"Charles, you WILL fight when I'm through. You WILL."  
  
Something like a glimmer of rebellion shone in the Bulbasaur's eyes, but it was swiftly dampened down by fear.  
  
"Bulba...Bulbasaur..." it said, sounding terrified. Ella E dropped it.  
  
"Saur!" it said, winded. She began walking briskly.  
  
"Keep up, Charles! I will NOT be kept waiting!" she said angrily. "Nothing is going to keep me from my Growlissa! Not even YOU."  
  
Charles limped along after her, wheezing "Saur" after each painful step.  
  
Ella E walked swiftly into Viridian forest, where she promptly ran into a Pidgey nest.  
  
"ACK!" she screamed, as feathers and sticks went flying everywhere.  
  
"Pidgey! PIDGEYAAA!" The Pidgey shrieked, attacking her.  
  
"Charles! Charles, Tackle it!" she shrieked.  
  
"Bulba?" Charles said, unsure of how to reach it.  
  
"Do it now, or you'll regret it!" Ella E shouted, trying to shield her eyes.  
  
"Saaaur..." Charles said. It had no idea it's trainer would be so mean and rough. It wished it had gotten some other trainer. But it was stuck.  
  
"Bulba..." Charles said, backing up. It ran as fast as it could, and leapt in the air, slamming into the pidgey.  
  
"Saaaaur!"  
  
"Pidgeeey..." it said, fainting. Charles panted. That was terrifying...it was scared of the Pidgey. The Pidgey seemed very dangerous.  
  
Ella E ran her hand down her face, and felt blood. The Pidgey had scratched her pretty good.  
  
"Thanks a lot, Charles. A BIT LATE, THOUGH!" she shouted. Charles cowered.  
  
"Saaur?" it whimpered. She raised a hand to slap it. She'd show Charles to be late!  
  
"STOP RIGHT THERE!" she heard a angry voice shout. She felt a hand grab her wrist. She turned angrily, seeing a girl with short grey hair and violet eyes, staring at her with furious energy. Suddenly terribly embarrassed, Ella E blushed bright red.  
  
"What do you think YOU'RE DOING?! Are you a member of Team Rocket?" the girl said with furious anger. Ella E would have ran, but the girl was holding her wrist.  
  
"I......No! Of Course not! I just started today! I got a Pokédex to prove it-" Ella E began fumbling nervously in her pockets. She got it halfway out.  
  
"HOW COULD YOU BE SO CRUEL TO THAT POOR BULBASAUR!?" the girl shrieked. Ella E dropped her Pokédex, where it clicked open on the ground.  
  
"The Pokédex belongs to Ella E. She started with Charles, a Bulbasaur. She is in desperate need of a Growlithe, as it is her favorite Pokémon."  
  
"Who asked you?" Ella E said angrily at the Pokédex.  
  
"Why of all the-" the girl said, seemingly unable to find words to fit her anger,"how...how could you do that to poor Charles? What did it do to you? And it's your first Pokémon too! On your first day!"  
  
"I...I..." Ella E said, staring at her Bulbasaur. Charles was pressed against the ground, in anticipation for the blow that was halted by the girl.  
  
Ella E felt hot tears come to her eyes, but she tried to make them go away by shouting herself.  
  
"You don't understand! It...it's too slow! It didn't save me from the pidgey, and it didn't even fight Caleb!" Ella E shouted. She was stretching the truth a bit. Charles had fought Charmander...a little.  
  
"That's why you TRAIN YOUR POKéMON!" the girl shouted right back. She finally let go of Ella E's wrist, and Ella E was left rubbing it as the girl ran over to Charles. She raised a hand to help it, and Charles squealed.  
  
"Bulba!" Charles ducked from her hand. She turned angrily to Ella E, who was staring at Charles in surprise.  
  
"Look what you did to it!" she accused.  
  
"...I didn't mean too..." Ella E said. What had she been doing? Her want of Growlithe was becoming just what Atelli said it would become...an obsession. She collapsed on the ground.  
  
"I'm sorry Charles." she said, almost crying.  
  
"You better be." The girl with the short grey hair said.  
  
"Who are you?" Ella E said, in awe of the girl. She seemed to radiate confidence.  
  
"My name is Ashstar." the girl said, almost snarling. "What's yours, Pokémon abuser?"  
  
"Don't call me that!" Ella E said, even though she knew she had been excessively hard on Charles. "My name is Ella E."  
  
"Poor Charles..." Ashstar said, trying to pet it. It kept ducking away.  
  
"I bet if Growlissa could see me now...she wouldn't even want to be with me...a Pokémon abuser..." Ella E thought, tears brimming her eyes.  
  
  
Chapter 3  
  
"Who do you love, Charles?"  
  
  
"I'm keeping him."  
  
"What?!"  
  
Ashstar had picked up Charles gently, holding him correctly in her arms. She supported his legs and held him with a gentle touch.   
  
"Bulba..." Charles crooned, rubbing against Ashstar's chest.  
  
"You heard me. I won't let you be cruel to him anymore." Ashstar said, stroking Charles softly as she did.  
  
"You can't do that! I need Charles to capture Growlissa! I started with him anyway!"  
  
"Who's Growlissa?"  
  
Ella E struggled with the words.  
  
"Uh...she's the Growlithe I'm going to capture someday."  
  
"Well, you aren't going to capture it with Charles! Charles isn't just a thing with no feelings, you know!"  
  
"Saur!" Charles agreed emphatically.  
  
"But...but...but you can't take him away from me! Who will I battle with? What will I do?"  
  
"Find some other Pokémon. I won't let you be cruel to Charles anymore. He deserves so much more then that."  
  
Ashstar simply walked away, ignoring Ella E's sputtering protests. Ella E watched as Ashstar only became a streak of grey walking through the woods.  
  
"Oh...what am I going to do without Charles?" Ella E lamented to herself. Some Pokémon trainer she was! How could she capture her Growlithe without Charles's Sleeping Powder? She needed to prove to Ashstar that she could take care of her Pokémon and not be harsh with them.  
  
She looked around desperatly, for a Weedle or anything else she could capture.  
  
She heard screams from above her.  
  
"Speeeearow!"  
  
"PIDGEYAAAAA!"  
  
The shriek of a Pidgeotto! It was followed by some anguished cries of the Spearow. Ella E craned her neck upwards, but couldn't see anything, only occasional feathers floating down. She opened her guide, to try and find more information about the two Pokémon, when she heard a thump.  
  
She looked up, and saw that the Spearow was laying, almost dead, on the ground, with long claw marks in it's body. Ella E instantly felt sympathetic towards the poor Spearow. It was probably just protecting it's territory. She walked over to it.  
  
"Spear...?" it said weakly. Ella E suddenly smiled broadly. This was her chance to capture another Pokémon! Afraid of hurting it, she gently rolled the Pokéball towards it. It clicked open, and the Spearow was sucked in in a flash of light. It dinged.  
  
"I caught a Spearow..." Ella E said, rather thoughtfully, which was rather unusual. Usually, when someone captures their first Pokémon, they're overjoyed. But Ella E was thinking hard. She had to give a nickname to the Spearow...  
  
"My gosh...the Pidgeotto had really cut you up like a piece of meat..." She said to her new Spearow, after giving it a potion and letting it sit on her shoulder. Despite the potion, the Spearow had a long scar over one eye that went all the down to it's feathery neck.  
  
"I know! I'll call you Beef!"  
  
"Spear?" the Spearow said, looking confused. What was this "beef?"  
  
"Beeffff..." Ella E said. She liked the sound of that. She loved to give things strange names...she mainly did it to annoy her sister. Now that she was out on her own, she had no reason to do it, but it was a habit she couldn't break.  
  
"Beeefff...Pokémon..." she said outloud. There was one thing missing from the name...  
  
"Row? Spearow?" the Spearow said.  
  
"Beefff PokémonO! There! The perfect name!" Ella E said, taking the Spearow from her shoulder. It raised it's wings in what could be interpreted as a shrug.   
  
Ella E knew she had to care for this Spearow she could get Charles back. But she was slightly confused...she had never much liked birds anyway.  
  
"I need to battle something and show that I care enough to cheer you on while you do it..." Ella E said to Beefff PokémonO.  
  
"Spear?"  
  
"I know! I read in my guide that there are lots of Bug Catchers around here! Birds are good against bugs, I've read, so you should do fine!"  
  
Her Pokédex clicked open from it's position on the ground. She seemed to notice it for the first time. It scanned the Spearow, added the information, then clicked shut. Ella E, not really caring, shoved the machine back in her pocket and walked off. She was sure there would be a Bug Catcher around here somewhere that she could battle. She decided that she would head off in the direction that Ashstar had gone. Then maybe she could catch up to her.  
  
"I think you're level 3, Beef." Ella E said, using a nickname that would later be used a lot.  
  
"Spear!" Beefff PokémonO said happily.  
  
She heard some wild cries from her right. She walked over to invesigate, the Spearow sitting comfortably on her finger. It's sharp claws hurt her a little, but she restrained her anger. She had to appreciate Beef for what it was.  
  
"Go! Scratch now!" she heard a familiar voice say.  
  
"Char char!"  
  
As soon as she heard that, she ducked behind a tree. Caleb! Caleb must be fighting someone! She opened her guide quickly and found the section under Charmander. Apparently, Fire was great against Bugs. Caleb must be fighting a Bug Catcher.  
  
Ella E considered talking to him, but squashed that thought rather quickly. She couldn't say that her Bulbasaur had left her for another trainer! Caleb must of treated his Charmander nicely after they had parted. Her cheeks flooding red with embarrassment, Ella walked off, motioning to her Spearow to be silent.  
  
In Actuality, Caleb was standing by himself in the clearing, with no Charmander in sight. He sighed again, as he mimicked a battle that he wished he could of completed. He had been mimicking it's voice, trying to sound like it would. Charmander...  
  
"I'm sorry Charmander..." he said for the fifteenth time, sitting on a large rock. When he had been fighting some Bug Catcher, he had kicked Charmander hard. Charmander had finally had enough. It sat and closed it's eyes again. Caleb was about to kick it again, but then apparently either Charmander heard it coming, or heard something important, and suddenly dashed off to the left of him. He had been following it ever since. He didn't have any other Pokémon to battle with! When he got Charmander back, he swore to himself, he would treat it right. He saw a flash of grey where Charmander had dissapeared, but after that he hadn't seen anything. He just hoped Ella E wouldn't find him.  
  
Ella E tried to follow Ashstar, but because she had taken the slight detour, Ashstar's traces where completly gone. Well, Ella E was sure she would run into her again.  
Ella E, at that very moment, DID run into someone.  
  
But it wasn't Ashstar.  
  
It was a young boy with a butterfly net in his grasp.  
  
"Hey!"  
  
Ella E's eyes were suddenly bright with excitement.  
  
"Oh, you're a bug catcher, aren't you?"  
  
The boy gave her a weird look.  
  
"Yeah..."  
  
"Let's battle, okay?"  
  
"Well...okay." the boy shrugged. Ella E looked for Beef, who had decided to go off and investigate something.  
  
"Beef? BEEEEFFF?! BEEF YOU S-" she stifled herself. She couldn't call it names...that would be cruel.  
  
"Beef PokémonO! Come here, I need you!" she called loudly.  
  
"Spear?" Beef said, hopping back in the clearing.  
  
"Oh good, you're safe!" Ella E said, with almost genuine relief.  
  
"I call...Caterpie!" The Bug Catcher said. He threw a ball and let the little caterpillar out of it's ball. Ella E hurriedly looked through her guide.  
  
"Beef, Peck!"  
  
"Spearow!" the bird cried, flying over the Caterpie. It struck it hard over the head. The Caterpie was instantly knocked out. The Bug Catcher grimaced angrily. He threw another one.  
  
"Go, Kakuna!"  
  
The Ball burst open, and a large, cocoon-like creature burst out. It was totally silent, something that frightened Ella E. She had always thought Pokémon said they're names. Even Metapod did!  
  
"It's mute, okay?" The Bug Catcher said, obviously annoyed.  
  
"Beef, Peck!"  
  
"Spear!" The Spearow said, pecking it hard. "Row!" it cried, as it's beak shoke violently. That was a hard shell!  
  
"C'mon, Beef! You st...You can do it!" Ella E said, trying to contain her frustration. To make up for it, she clenched her fists hard.  
  
"Spear..." Beef said, it pecked it again.  
  
"Kakuna, Harden!"  
  
The Kakuna shimmered, and it seemed even harder. Ella E stared hard. Beef had hurt it about a third of it's hits. She hoped this wouldn't take so long.  
  
"Beef, Peck again!"  
  
Beef PokémonO tried again, it's beak ringing now as it struck. Even less damage then before! Ella E clenched her fists tight in anger. She couldn't yell at it...she couldn't hurt Beef! She had to prove to Ashstar and herself that she could care for her Pokémon.  
  
"Beef, give it all you got!" Ella E Shouted.  
  
"SpeeeeeAROWWW!" the Spearow cried, closing it's eyes so the scar that ran over one became a solid line. It stabbed as hard as it could with it's sharp beak.  
  
There was a loud crack.  
  
"Kakuna!" The Boy cried, obviously distressed. A Critical hit! There was a long crack running down the Kakuna now, and it seemed to be vibrating...well, something was making a buzzing noise.  
  
"Maybe it's-" Ella E said, but the boy ran off with the Kakuna in his arms.  
  
"Evolving." She finished uselessly. She looked at her Spearow, to see it shimmering brightly. She looked it up in her guide, and found that meant it was gaining levels. It seemed bigger and better then before! Now she understood...  
  
"C'mere, Beef!" she said, smiling. She had won.  
  
"Spearow!" Beef said, sounding just as pleased. She noticed a flash of grey near her.  
  
"Ashstar?" she called out. She ran after the grey as it dashed off. Finally, she was winded, and finally staggered into a clearing, to see Ashstar and Charles, standing together smirking.  
  
"Give...me...back...Charles..." Ella E gasped, trying to get her breath back.  
  
"Why? So you can hurt him some more?" Ashstar said bitterly.  
  
"Saur! Bulbabulbasaur!" Charles agreed.  
  
"No! No, I've changed!" Ella E said, catching her breath. "I care now. Ask Beef!"  
  
"Beef?" Ashstar rasied a silver eyebrow.  
  
"My new Spearow..."  
  
She held her Spearow up, where it puffed up it's chest and seemed to smile in pride.  
  
"Spearow! Spearspearow! Rowrow!" it said.  
  
"A likely story." Ashstar said doubtfully. "What do you think, Charles?"  
  
"Bulba bulba...bulbasaur bulbabulbsaur...."  
  
"Charles thinks that you threatened the Spearow into liking you." Ashstar said. Ella E blinked.  
  
"You understand it?"  
  
"You can understand you're Pokémon when you care enough about them." Ashstar said with a smile. Ella E thought about how she couldn't understand Beef yet, but sometimes it almost made sense.  
  
"That's just it! Charles isn't YOUR Pokémon! You have your own starting Pokémon."  
  
"Squirtle to be exact." Ashstar said, as if it were no importance. "Also, I recently found an abused Charmander. Poor thing."  
  
Could it of been Calebs..? Ella E wondered.  
  
"Charles is mine. I own him."  
  
"I know. Why don't we let Charles decide?" Ashstar said, smiling. She placed Charles gently and carefully at the edge of the grass.  
  
"Charles, come to the person that is your real trainer."  
  
"C'mere Charles!" Ella E begged. Ashstar only stood silently, staring at Charles' eyes. Charles, without hesitation, walked over to Ashstar and rubbed against her leg.  
  
"See?"  
  
Ella E was heartbroken! Charles still didn't trust her! She'd have to prove it.  
  
"If I can prove I care, will you let me have him back?"  
  
"He's not mine to command. It's his decision, not mine." Ashstar said. There was something about the way she said it that made Ella E seem evil. Ella E looked at Beef, sitting on her arm, perched like a bird of prey.  
  
"I care about Beef."  
  
"I have an idea. Why don't you prove you care enough about Beef...by battling me?"  
  
"How would that prove anything?" Ella E said, stroking her Spearow.  
  
"I'll be using Charles."  
  
  
Chapter 4  
  
"Has Ella E changed her ways?"  
  
  
"Y....You can't use Charles! It's mine!"  
  
Ashstar only looked at Charles, who looked up at her adoringly.  
  
"Bulba?"  
  
"Why don't we ask Charles? Do you belong to her?"  
  
Charles shook it's head vigourously No.  
  
"Saur!"  
  
"I'll prove I've changed Charles!" Ella E said, determined.  
  
"Saur." Charles said, skeptically.  
  
"By the way, I've helped Charles reach level 7."  
  
"Wha...How?" Ella E asked, surprised.  
  
"By working and supporting him. What level is your Spearow?"  
  
"Beefff PokémonO is level 5." Ella E said proudly, stroking Beef's headfeathers.  
  
"Spear!" Beef said happily.  
  
"Charles, use your leech seed to start the battle." Ashstar said, sounding almost like a request. Charles nodded.  
  
"Bulba!"  
  
Ella E raised her arm, and Beef flew off, landing in front of the Bulbasaur, studying it. Suddenly, so fast neither of them could see it, a seed flew from Charles' back, flying into the air. It hit Beef in the back, extending it's roots and growing into tiny plants.  
  
"Spear?" Beef said, pecking at the seeds.  
  
"Beef was Seeded!" Ella E's Pokédex said, but she ignored it.  
  
"Okay, Beeffff PokémonO! Peck it!"  
  
"Speeear!"  
  
Beef pecked Charles hard between the ears.   
  
"Saur!" Charles cried. Suddenly, the plants on Beef's back glowed for a moment, and Beef collapsed in pain. Energy collected in them, and then floated over to Charles, whose peck wound healed quickly.  
  
"Wha...?" Ella E said, sounding surprised. While she looked up the attack in her guide, her Pokédex said the definition. She ignored it.  
  
"So Leech Seed can steal energy? No matter! Beef, peck it again!"  
  
Beef stood on it's claws, flapping it's wings and raising into the air.  
  
"Spearoooow!"  
  
It flew as high as it could, then dove down and slammed it's beak into Charles' side.  
  
"BULBA!" Charles cried.  
  
"Charles!" Ashstar said, distressed. "Don't let the Spearow get to you! Remember what Ella E did? Pay her back!"  
  
Charles' eyes narrowed in utter hatred for Ella E. It ran back, then ran as fast as it could, tackling the Spearow and knocking it to the ground.  
  
"Speeear!"  
  
"Beef! Beefff PokémonO! Oh, I hope you're okay! Use Growl!" Ella E said, sounding genuinely concerned. Charles' looked at her quizzically. Beef staggered upwards, then gave a frightening cry.  
  
"SpearrrrrROW!" Beef cried. Suddenly Charles remembered the fact that Spearow was a flying type, and was super-effective against it. It's attack power was affected by this knowledge. The Plantlets on Beef's back again glew, and energy travelled to Charles. Charles looked much better, while Beef was looking tired and beaten.  
  
"Speear..." it wheezed.  
  
"Beef! Keep Pecking it!"  
  
"Spearow!" Beef cried, pecking Charles again. Charles winced. Ashstar looked worried.  
  
"Please keep focused Charles! When we're done, I'll give you a potion, and you'll feel fine."  
Charles looked over at Ashstar with a smile. "Bulbasaur!"  
  
"Now, Tackle the Spearow, Charles!" Ashstar cried. Charles backed up a few paces, then ran at full speed, shrieking.  
  
"BULBASAAAAAAUUUUR!"  
  
WHAM!  
  
Charles hit Beef in it's chest, knocking it into the air. Ella E ran out immediately, going under it and catching it. She studied it carefully.  
  
"Oh Beef! Beeffff PokémonO! Please talk to me!" She said, almost close to tears. She had never realized how important Beef was to her. Beef was unconcious. Ella E collapsed, gently stroking her Spearow.  
  
"....You win...You can keep Charles." She said, sounding like she was about to cry.  
Ashstar was startled. This was genuine emotion for her Pokémon coming from Ella E! It could be an act...but if it was, why would she give Charles up so willingly?  
  
Ella E ran her fingers gently down the long scar over Beef's eye, caused by it's fight with the Pidgeotto.  
  
"I'm sorry, Beef. I should of worked harder with you." Ella E said. Finally, one glimmering tear fell from her eye, splashing on Beef's feathers.  
  
Charles was utterly confused. Was this real emotion? It's trainer was caring for someone....No! It couldn't return to her! She had treated it so badly...but she hadn't called the Spearow any names...and it seemed to like her genuinely.  
  
"Charles, it's your decision." Ashstar said, seeming close to tears herself. They glimmered on her silver eyelashes.  
  
Charles looked back and forth between Ashstar and Ella E. Ashstar had truly cared...but now Ella E seemed to. And everyone, in it's opinion, needed another chance...  
  
"Bulba...saur..." Charles said, crying, it rubbed up against Ashstar one last time then walked over to Ella E, using it's bulb to wipe away her tears.  
  
"Charles?" Ella E said, wiping her eyes. "Charles, You chose me!" She cried joyfully, hugging the Bulbasaur tightly.  
  
"Saur!" Charles wheezed.  
  
Ashstar watched quietly. Apparently Ella E had learned her lesson. She began walking off, but Ella E had grabbed her arm.  
  
"Wait." Ella E said, holding Beef in her arms.  
  
"What do you want?"  
  
"You're pretty experienced, aren't you?"  
  
"Yes...I have two badges."  
  
"Wow!" Ella E said, with genuine admiration. "Maybe...could you come with me?"  
  
"Why would I do that?" Ashstar said. She brushed back her short silver hair, blinking her violet eyes.  
  
"Why not? We could both benefit. And I'm sure you would make sure I didn't hurt any of my Pokémon along the way."  
  
Ashstar had to take any oppurtunity to help prevent Pokémon abuse.  
  
"I suppose so."  
  
The two walked off together. Ella E noticed how quiet Ashstar was, and for the first time noticed how tall she was.  
  
"Why do you hate Pokémon abuse so much?" Ella E asked. Ashstar crossed her arms, seeming distant.  
  
"It's personal, okay?"  
  
Ella E decided the subject was better left alone. Together, the two of them left Viridian Forest. 


	2. Truth

Chapter 5  
  
"Pewter Gym: Whose the leader?"  
  
  
"Beefff PokémonO! Use your leer attack!" Ella E shouted, pointing at the Nidoran Male in front of her.  
  
"Speeeeearow!" Beef cried, glaring at the Nidoran fiercly. It looked in fear, petrified.  
  
"Peck it, Beef!"  
  
"Spear!" Beef said, agreeing. It Spread it's wings, launching itself into the air and pecking the nidoran hard. It fainted instantly.  
  
"Good job, Beef!" She said, patting her Spearow.  
  
"Spear spear!" it said, happily.  
  
"Your Spearow is level 10 now." Ashstar said, where she leaned against a tree.  
  
"How can YOU tell?"  
  
"Look at the glimmer. Isn't it stronger then before?"  
  
Ella E realized that Ashstar was right. She smiled, and let Beef rest on her arm.  
  
She had been training fiercly since she had reached Pewter. She had read in her guide that the leader of the Gym had mainly rock type Pokémon, around level 12. She wanted her Pokémon high in level.  
  
"I'm glad you aren't neglecting your Spearow, even though it will be no help in the coming battle." Ashstar walked over to Charles, who rubbed up against her happily. She rubbed it idly.  
  
"I want my Pokémon even." Ella E said, with a little doubt. Did she? All she wanted was Charles' sleep powder so she could capture Growlissa...  
  
"Well, Charles is level 13 now. He should be more then a match."  
  
"Then lets give it a try!"  
  
She walked the short distance back to the Pokécenter, and healed her Pokémon. Ashstar seemed to be trying to stare in every direction at once, as if she was here for the first time. Ella E wondered why she cared so much about these surrondings. Ashstar walked over to a empty chair, and looked at it, almost looking sad. But then she shook her head and walked back to Ella E, who was ready to go. She had stocked up on potions with some money she had earned, and now she was ready.  
  
The two of them walked to the front of the Pewter Gym, a large boulder with a gym almost looking like it was cut out of the inside. Ella E walked in. It was dark, and she was slightly frightened. She kept a hand on Charles' bulb, so she wouldn't be alone. She would've held Ashstar's hand, but she was walking behind her.  
  
The lights flashed on.  
  
"Whose there?" Ella E said. There was no response. "C'mon out! I just want a badge and some experience."  
  
There was still no response. She looked around wildly, then saw two forms sitting on top of a pedestal on the back wall. They were wearing black cloaks.  
  
"Prepare for trouble.."  
  
"And Make it double!"  
  
"Team Rocket?!" Ella E cried, frightened. The cloaked forms leapt to the floor, and swept off their disguises to reveal...  
  
Two girls, almost identical, except one had black hair and the other had white.  
  
"I love doing that!"  
  
"It's too much fun to scare people!" The two girls said to eachother. They struck dramatic poses.  
  
"I am Kame!" The girl with the light hair said.  
  
"And I am Kotake!" The girl with the dark hair said.  
  
"And we're..." they said at the same time, "leaders of the Pewter Gym!"  
  
"Phew, you're not Team Rocket." Ella E said, obviously worried. "Hey...isn't Br-"  
  
"He isn't here."  
  
"He had to leave."  
  
"Went with some other kid."  
  
"His dad said he'd stay, but he lied."  
  
"He left it to us."  
  
The two girls alternated their statements so fast it was hard to hear where one broke off and the other began.  
  
"So you're the new Gym Leaders?" Ella E said, holding Charles.  
  
"Not exactly."  
  
"Well, the new part anyway."  
  
"We've been here for quite a while."  
  
"It's all official, more then two years!"  
  
Ella E remembered how her guide didn't update automatically with the new changes in the Pokémon world. Ashstar stayed in the shadows, apparently uncomfortable around them.  
  
"Do you have someone with you?"  
  
"Or are you fighting alone?"  
  
"Well, I do have someone with me, but she won't be fighting." Ella E said. She grabbed Ashstar's arm. Ashstar tried to pull away, but Ella E was too strong. Ella E dragged Ashstar into the light.  
  
"This is Ashstar! She helped me out in Viridian Forest!" Ella E said, smiling. She looked at Ashstar, who seemed furious, her silver hair glinting from the light pouring from the ceiling lights. She stared at Kame and Kotake.  
  
"Why...of all the...I never thought I'd see you again, Ashstar!" Kotake said, flipping her dark hair back.  
  
"Ever since what happened! How can you dare show your face around Pokémon again?" Kame said, her eyes flashig angrily.  
  
"Wh...What do they mean, Ashstar?" Ella E said, confused. Ashstar turned to her with a mixture of sadness and hatred, then ripped her arm from Ella's grasp and ran out of the gym. Ella E stood, utterly confused.  
  
"What the...Why'd she do that?" She asked herself.  
  
"Haven't you heard?" Kame said. The two girls were now circling her.  
  
"Of course not! If she hadn't heard of us, why would she of heard of Ashstar?"  
  
"I suppose not. We'll tell you after we battle you!" Kame said, holding out her Pokéball. Her twin held out another one.  
  
"Let's go! Two Pokémon."  
  
"Good, that's all I have!" Ella E said, gratefully. She put Charles down gently.  
  
"Kame calls....Cubone!"  
  
"Kotake calls...Diglett!"  
  
"Diglett? Cubone?" Ella E said, surprised. She then remembered her Guide hadn't been updated in a while. She heard her Pokédex try to tell her something about the two Pokémon, but she flipped open her book to read instead.  
  
"Well, Charles should handle then! Charles, Vine Whip!"  
  
"BulbaSAUR!" Charled cried, lashing out with whips that had come from underneath his bulb.   
  
"Cubone bone!" The Cubone said, dodging the vines quickly.  
  
"Good boy, Cubone!" Kame said encouragingly.  
  
"Diglett, Dig!" Kotake shouted.  
  
"Diglett!" The Diglett dug beneath the floor, dissapearing. Ella E had the urge to say after Kotake "Diglett dig, Trio trio trio!" but stifled it.  
  
"How does your Diglett know Dig?" Ella E asked, surprised.  
  
"It learned it."  
  
A quick glance at her guide told her the Diglett had to at least be level 19. This was going to be tougher then she thought.  
  
"Charles, jump NOW!" She shouted in desperation. Charles, recognizing the urgency in her voice, leapt as high as it could. The Diglett burst below it a second after Charles left the ground, saving Charles from the Diglett's attack.  
  
"Cubone! Bone Club!" Kame shouted.  
  
"CuuuuuuBONE!" the Cubone cried, running fro Charles. Charles had to make a split decision. It leapt off the Cubone's helmet, landing in a ready position at the other side of the ring.  
  
"Charles! Do your VineWhip Again!"  
  
"Bulba! BulbaSAAUUR!" Charles cried, willing the vines to come forward and hit it's opponets. One of the vines hit the Cubone across the chest with a crack.  
  
"BONE!" it shrieked. Cubone rolled over, and tried to will itself forward. It couldn't. It had to rest...Kame recalled it. The vine caught a glancing blow to the Diglett, but that was enough. It was super effective, and the Diglett was badly injured.  
  
"Diglett, Dig!" Kotake shouted.   
  
"Charles, jump again!" Ella E said, a second too late. The Diglett burst from the ground.  
  
"Diglett!" it cried in it's cute voice. Charles went flying.  
  
"Bulba!"  
  
Charles hit the ground hard, and instantly fainted. Ella E looked it up, and found ground very effective against Poison. She recalled Charles.  
  
"Charles was my one chance at beating them....I have to try something else..." Ella E thought. She grabbed her only other Pokéball.  
  
"Go, Beefff PokémonO!" she shouted, letting the ball fly open in a burst of feathers.  
  
"SPEEEEAROW!" Beef cried, flying from the ball.  
Kame had her Cubone curled in her lap, but laughed when she heard the name.  
  
"What kind of name is that? Kotake, get your Diglett to annihilate that bird!"  
  
"Diglett, use your Scratch!"  
  
"Dig!" the Diglett cried, moving through the ground at Beef. Beef was quizzical. It had never seen this kind of Pokémon before.  
  
"Beef, Peck!"  
  
"Spear!" Beef cried, flapping it's wings. The Diglett lowered itself, then surged upwards, sending sharp painful rocks at Beef.   
  
"ROW!" Beef cried as they struck it's body. It managed to get off the ground, then pecked the diglett on the head.  
  
"Diglett!" The Diglett cried, distressed. it was almost in faint...  
  
"Beef, peck again!"  
  
"Diglett, use your Scratch!'  
  
"C'mon Beef..." Ella E thought fiercly.   
  
Beef had the advantage. It was in the air. The Diglett shot the shards at it again, but Beef dodged them. Beef slammed into the Diglett, knocking it back in it's hole.  
  
"DIGLETT!" Kotake cried, recalling it.  
  
Kame and Kotake both looked at eachother.  
  
"Well, I guess you win."  
  
"Good! One step closer to my Growlithe!" Ella E said happily.  
  
"Growlithe?" Kame and Kotake said at the same time.  
  
"Yes, I'm looking for one! Do you know where I could find one?"  
  
The twins looked at eachother.  
  
"I think they're around Lavender town..."  
  
"On Route 8."  
  
"Thank you!" Ella E said, walking out.  
  
"Where you going?" Kame shouted. She had recalled her Cubone, and was now running for Ella, who had stopped.  
  
"You don't have a badge." Kotake finished.  
  
"Do I need one?" Ella E asked.  
  
"They boost Your Pokémon's defense."  
  
Ella E thought of Growlissa.  
  
"Sure!"  
  
Kame and Kotake both brought out a badge, then the two of them placed one of them ceremoniously in Ella E's hand. Ella E turned to go.  
  
"Wait."  
  
"Don't you want to know about Ashstar?"  
  
Ella E thought for a moment. Why had Ashstar run out like that?  
  
"Of course."  
  
"Here's how it goes." Kame started.  
  
"And it's all absolullulutly true." Kotake said. They both placed a hand on both their hearts.   
  
Ella E looked skeptical, but listened.  
  
  
Chapter 6  
  
"A rock with eyes?"  
  
  
"It started a while ago." Kame said, looking upwards as if trying to remember.  
  
"A LONG while ago." Kotake finished for her.  
  
"You know, Ashstar is a LOT older then you think she is!" Kame said brightly.  
  
"She is?" Ella E said, confused. Ashstar looked maybe 5, or 6 years older then her. How could she be older then that?  
  
"Oh yeah! She's been through the Elite Four, she was even Champion for a period! Until Red kicked her off-"  
  
Kame sighed lovingly. "Oh, he's SO cute! I wish I could meet him some day!"  
  
Kotake gave Kame a weird look, but then returned her attention back to what she was saying.  
  
"I thought she was 16...or maybe lower. Was I off?" Ella E asked, letting Beef rest on her arm. Kotake smiled.  
  
"Oh no no no, she's at LEAST 24."  
  
"24?!" Ella E shrieked, surprised! She should of been taller if she was 24! But then again, maybe some people were short like her. And Ashstar looked young...  
  
"24!" Kotake said, as if she enjoyed surprising Ella E with this.  
  
"Let's get back to the topic, hmm?" Kame said, looking bored. Kotake rolled her eyes.  
  
"Anyway, Ashstar used to travel with someone...I forget her name...what was it?...hmmm..." Kame said, trying to think. The two girls both thought very, very hard, while Ella E watched. She swore she could see their heads smoking.  
  
"Y..y something. It started with Y, anyway." Kame said, scratching her head.  
  
"Hmm....Yaoshi?"  
  
"No...that's not it...keep trying."  
  
"Yavimaya?"  
  
"No..."  
  
The two girls thought again.  
  
"Hmm...Maybe it was..."  
  
The two girls looked at eachother as they got the same thought at the same time.  
  
"I KNOW!"  
  
They turned towards Ella E.  
  
"Her name was Yilani!" Kotake said, smiling. Ella E smiled nervously.  
  
"Anyway, so they were companions." Kame began, "Ashstar was a lot younger back then, just starting. So was Yilani. The two of them fought together and won together and trained together! But, Ashstar began to be dissapointed in her Squirtle."  
  
Ashstar? Dissapointed? With ANYTHING? It sounded hardly believable, considering Ella E's recent experience with Ashstar, but she listened anyway.  
  
"Yilani had choosen a Squirtle too, and hers was stronger and more determined then hers. Ashstar didn't know why, but she felt slightly jealous and inadequate, even though Yilani didn't seem to notice. Ashstar felt like she dragging them both down."  
  
"Both their Squirtles were now Blastoise's at that point." Kotake put in. Kame glared at her, but didn't say anything.  
  
"Yes, they had evolved. Ashstar kept trying harder and harder to keep her Squirtle up to pace with Yilanis. Yilani still didn't notice."  
  
"I heard Ashstar's Squirtle was called Accident!" Kotake broke in again.  
  
"I think you have her confused for Radic." Ella E said. Kotake looked surprised, realizing that Ella E was right, and then shut up.  
  
"Anyway, Ashstar's Squirtle, which I think was named Kindness, was trying it's hardest to win, but Yilani's was always ahead. In desperation, Ashstar went to the Celadon drug store and picked up some of those stat enhancing drugs."  
  
"Aren't those horribly expensive?" Ella E said, trying to remember what it said in her guide. Her Pokédex tried to tell her, but she hit it sharply and it stopped talking.  
  
"Very. She loaded up on Carbos, Iron, Calciums, everything! She spent almost all her money. She forcefeeded them to Kindness, who was startled and tried to resist."  
  
Ella E was sure that at that point Ashstar would stop doing that to Kindness. After all, Ashstar was a adamant protector of-  
  
"She wasn't in the mood to mess around. She made Kindness take the pills, by force. Kindness was sick and dizzy, but Ashstar didn't care. She was now insanely jealous of Yilani's Blastoise, and was determined to beat it." Kame said.  
  
Ella E's mouth fell open. Ashstar? That couldn't be the same person.  
  
"The next day she tried out her new pumped-up Blastoise against the same opponents as Yilani. Yilani's Blastoise defeated them, Kindness didn't." Kame said.   
  
"When she got back to the Pokécenter, she beat Kindness half-stupid, with anything she could get her hands on. The way I heard it, she shouted "You are SO worthless! I don't know why I even WORK WITH YOU! I hate you! I WISH I HAD A BETTER POKémon then you, You worthless piece of weak SCUM!" and she threw a lamp at Kindness. Kindness wasn't sure how to react. The Lamp shattered on it's shell, the shards burying themeselves in it's skin. Ashstar kicked it until it fell over, and beat until it didn't move, and she thought it was unconcious. She then ran to her room and fell asleep in utter exhaustion." Kotake said.  
  
Ella E was horrified! How could Ashstar do something like that? Kotake didn't notice her reaction. She was too into the story.  
  
"The Next morning, Ashstar woke up, and prepared to get Kindness back on it's feet and apologize for last night. Kindness was cold and stiff. Shocked, Ashstar realized that Kindness was dead. She had beat it to death in her fury." Kotake said respectfully, holding a hand over her heart.  
  
Ella E was almost close to tears. Poor Kindness...  
  
"Then Yilani walked in the room, and saw the broken lamp and the whole room trashed, Kindness was dead, and Ashstar looked horrified. Before Yilani could respond, Ashstar got up, adn ran out of the room, leaving behind a trail of tears. After that, Ashstar became depressed and suicidal, but finally she resolved to protect anything like that ever happeneing to another Pokémon again. That's why she fights so hard against Pokémon abusers, because SHE IS ONE HERSELF." Kame finished.  
  
Ella E sat down hard. Ashstar...so that's why she had ran out. She was ashamed of her past. Well, she should be! Ella E was overcome with fury at the unjust death of Kindness, and She ran out of the gym. Kame and Kotake watched her go silently.  
  
"ASHSTAR!" Ella E shouted, running into the woods. She noticed it was night now. She must of stayed in the gym longer then she thought. "ASHSTAR! WHERE ARE YOU?!"  
  
She saw a glimmer of silver from the corner of her eye. Ashstar!  
  
"ASHSTAR, COME BACK HERE!"  
  
Ella E heard a terrified sob, then saw the Silver run to her left. She heard a loud splash, and a scream of surprise. She ran over, seeing a large, fast running river. And she saw the patch of silver trying to cross.  
  
"Ashstar, get out of the river! I want to talk to you!" Ella E said, her fists clenched angrily.   
  
"SPEAR!" Beef said emphatically. Ashstar looked at Ella E with a mixture of fear and shame, but didn't turn around. She crawled onto the other bank, and tried to run. She tripped over a tree root, and landed hard, the breath knocked out of her. Ella E saw no choice. She leapt in the river.  
  
It was COLD! Ella E's skin prickled as the sudden coldness permeated her entire body. Hissing between her teeth, she stroked powerfully for the other shore. She was lucky to be a good swimmer.She reached the other bank, crawling out and shivering wildly. She saw Ashstar struggle to her feet, only to fall again. Ella E leapt at her, pinning her arms behind her back.  
  
Ashstar rolled over, slipping out of Ella E's grasp and standing up. She was unprepared for the fast slap that hit her next. She sat down hard, holding her face and sobbing.  
  
Ella E tried to control her anger.  
  
"WHY? Why did you LIE to me? You Hypocrite!" She shouted.  
  
"I didn't lie! I never did! I...I was sort of a hypocrite, but I was going to tell you!" Ashstar said, rubbing her eyes, trying to get rid of her tears.  
  
"You...You KILLED your own Pokémon through abuse! And you told me to leave CHARLES alone! You took him AWAY from me! How dare...How could You have dared presume you could take better care of him then me, when you've killed your own Pokémon?!" Ella E said angrily.  
  
"I KNOW I DID IT!" Ashstar shrieked violently, startling Ella. "I KNOW it was wrong! I know it NOW. I was going to tell you! I was, really! Charles needed a caring trainer-"  
  
"YOU KILLED SOMETHING BECAUSE IT COULDN'T BATTLE WELL ENOUGH! You don't care about ANYTHING!" Ella E shouted. Ashstar's face contorted in a look of hatred and anger.  
  
"I don't need to take this! Here, give this back to that stupid rival of yours when you see him!" Ashstar shouted, throwing the Pokéball into the river, then running off. This time Ella E didn't chase her.   
  
"Good. Go ahead and leave. I don't need you." Ella E said. She walked back to the river. What did Ashstar mean by rival? Was that...it must be! Caleb's Charmander! But how had she gotten it? Ella E was at first tempted to say stealing, but then remembered that Ashstar had told her that Caleb had been abusing his Pokémon too, and the Charmander had run to her for protection. Ella E could no longer see why.  
  
She saw the Pokéball, stuck in a clump of reeds in the middle of the moon-lit river. She sighed, thinking of how she would have to go back in the river to get it. She waded in, hissing, cursing Ashstar for making her do this, and grabbed the ball. Then she stepped on something that moved.  
  
"EEEEEEK!" She screamed, raising her legs off the ground instinctively. She was lucky she wasn't swept off. She had grabbed the rock. She looked at what she had stepped on, which was now attached to her pantsleg. It looked like a rock, but with eyes and tiny legs. She managed to swim to shore, and tried to remove the Pokémon from her leg. It clung tenaciously. She was going to look it up in her guide, but she had left it at Kame and Kotake's gym. Her Pokédex started, but she ignored it. She didn't need to depend on that thing. With a sigh, and a slight limp from the Pokémon on her leg, she limped back to Pewter.  
  
  
Chapter 7  
  
"On To Cerulean!"  
  
  
"So what is it?" She asked Nurse Joy. She was holding the rock-thing in her hands, trying to calm it down.  
  
"A Kabuto of course. Though I have no idea where it came from. Maybe it escaped the Cinnabar labs!"  
  
"Cinnabar? Isn't that where all those experiments go on?"  
  
"Yes...if this escaped, there's no telling what will escape next."  
  
Ella E was slightly unnerved. What if she ran into a Mewtwo? She took back the Kabuto, where it stuck like glue to her arm. She sighed.  
  
"Could you heal my Pokémon, please?"  
  
Nurse Joy gladly oblidged.  
  
As Ella E waited, she thought. Was she too hard on Ashstar? No! Ashstar deserved all she got, beating something to death like that! Ashstar was probably waiting to steal one of her Pokémon for her own twisted purposes!  
  
But Ashstar had seemed so nice at the beginning...so thoughtful. Why did Ella E abandon her?...  
Ella shoved the thought from her mind. Ashstar was dangerous, and Ella decided that it would be better if they just avoided eachother from now on. She received her Pokéballs from Nurse Joy, and set out of the town in the morning.  
  
While she as walking on route 3, she heard singing in the back of her mind.  
  
"A Jigglypuff!" She said outloud. She searched around for it, and finally saw it. It was standing on a rock, as if waiting to be praised. She ran up to it swiftly and kicked it.  
  
"JIGGLY!" The Jigglypuff shrieked, running off. Ella E laughed. She hated Jigglypuffs. The stupid things were weak and useless, and besides, when she was little she was nearly abducted by one. It sung her to sleep, and then tried to carry her off. Luckily her mom's Persian had scared it off. She was glad the Jigglypuff was gone.  
  
She found herself at the entrance of a cave. She read a sign at the front, reading in big letters "Mt.Moon" and in smaller letters beneath it "Water and Plant Pokémon are not appreciated". Ella E smiled. All she wanted to to was get through this area, and catch a Geodude. They shouldn't be hard to find.  
  
She entered the cave, wishing she had Growlissa to light the way for her. Instead, she blundered around in the dark, tripping over a rock. She fell hard on her hands and knees.  
  
"Ow!" she said, wondering what she had tripped over. She rubbed her hands, finding them scraped, and her knees, finding them bleeding. Ignoring the pain, she stood and kicked the rock hard, then screamed as she hurt her foot.  
  
"GEO!" the rock cried, flying up. Ella E sat down and sucked as well as she could on her foot.  
  
"Geo? Geodude?" the floating Pokémon said curiously, getting closer.  
  
"I hurt my foot..." Ella E said to herself, almost near tears. This was too much! She hurt all over!  
  
"Geogeo..." the Geodude said, touching her wound with surprising softness. "Geodude?"  
  
"Can you help me?" Ella E asked the Geodude. "I can't see in the dark, and I'll keep tripping."  
  
"Geogeo!" The Geodude said, agreeing. "Geogeo...geogeodude!" The Geodude grabbed her with surprising strength and lifted her onto it's back. She was utterly surprised, apparently the Geodude liked her. She held onto it bravely, and shut her eyes. She couldn't see anyway.  
  
"Geodude! Geodude!"  
  
"Eeee!" Ella E screamed as she was suddenly flying through the air! The Geodude was so fast! She held on tight.  
  
"Geo!" The Geodude stopped, alarmed. Ella E opened her eyes, but could only see vague flashes of blue and purple, and darkness. She heard a piercing squeal, hurting her brain.  
  
"Zuuuuuubat!"  
  
"A Zubat"! She cried uselessly.   
  
"Geeoooo...." The Geodude said, curling it's arms together. It began glowing, and the glow spread to Ella E. Ella E experienced the feeling it is when a Pokémon uses a move. Defense Curl. The strength came over her in a wave, making her feel stronger and more resilient. She felt a surge of power. She could withstand anything now! She clung to the Geodude. She hoped that the Geodude wouldn't drop her...she had no idea how high she was up now.  
  
"GeogeoGEODUDE!" the Geodude cried, punching the Zubat. It fluttered weakly and fell from her limited view. She closed her eyes against the rushing wind as the Geodude continued on it's way.   
  
"Clefairy?" She heard a cute voice say, but she couldn't see anything. She kept her eyes shut.  
  
"Grooooonix!" A cry rang out, from high above her. An Onix!  
  
"Geo!" The Geodude said, sounding frightened. It quickly zipped around the Onix...or at least tried to. Ella E hung on tightly. She could hear the ONix slither around her, and hear it's stone coils rushing past her. Luckily The Geodude was pretty nimble, it dodged the coils. She felt stone jaws sink into the back of her shirt, and she screamed.  
  
"EEEEEEEK!"  
  
The Onix had bit her shirt! She tried as hard as she could to hang onto the Geodude.  
  
"DUDE! GEODUDE!" The Geodude shouted, grabbing Ella E's hands. Ella E shrieked as she felt her body being stretched from both ends. She hung onto the Geodude's stony wrists as much as she could.  
  
"Ooooonix!" The Rock Snake shouted, pulling hard. She hung on with all her power, trying to hold onto the Geodude.  
  
"Geeooo..." the Geodude said, sounding strained. She hung on, tears flowing from her eyes. She felt like her body was ripping apart! She heard the fabric in her shirt ripping...She felt the Geodude slipping from her grasp. Shrieking, she felt the Geodude fly from her hands, and she was lifted into the air by the rock-solid jaws of the Onix.  
  
  
Chapter 8  
  
"A Short Stop in Snake Town"  
  
  
There was a thudding in the background. Ella E wasn't sure if it was her head or something else. She felt as if she had been crushed by something, she ached all over. The thudding became more and more consistant, pounding into her head and into the floor.  
  
Boom!  
  
Boom!  
  
Boom!  
  
She groaned and opened her eyes. Blurryness greeted her, and she blinked a few times to clear away the last cobwebs in her mind.  
  
There was the Onix that had abducted her. It was sitting in the middle of a huge cave, thumping the ground at a steady rythym with it's rock tail. That was what the thumping was...not a headache...an Onix. She smiled at the thought for some reason. The thumps became louder.  
  
Echoing cries came near her.  
  
"Groooonix!"  
  
"Oooonix!" loud roars came from all directions. She tensed her muscles, ready to run...  
Then noticed she was tied to a Stalacmite. She struggled, but it was too tight. She looked up at the Onix, which seemed to smile at her.  
  
"Where am I? What are you doing?" Ella E shouted. More Onix slithered into the room with much grating of stone against rock. There was someone sitting on the head of one, with long, tangled black hair. She pointed down, and the Onix let her down.  
  
"Who are you?" the girl asked in a surprisingly soft voice. Ella E was expecting something more...savage sounding.  
  
"Uh...My name's...Ella. Ella E."  
  
"My name is Conkista."  
  
"Why am I tied up?"  
  
"The Onix don't like you." Conkista's replies were short and to the point.  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"They just don't."  
  
"Can you let me go?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"They don't like you."  
  
Ella E, knowing she would get no more out of the mysterious girl, peered around at her surrondings. She noticed some Onix's batting something playfully through the air, and another was sprawled out underneath a patch of moonlight. She looked at the Onix's playing. They were messing around with some greenish ball. They would hit with their tail, sending it flying, then the other would hit it back. She tried to listen in, but all the noise was hard. It wasn't until one of the Onix's missed that the Green ball rolled towards her, and unwrapped itself.  
  
"CHARLES!" she shrieked, seeing her Bulbasaur near the verge of a nervous and physical breakdown.  
  
"Bulba..." it said in a quivery voice, it's limbs shaking too much to let it rise on it's own power. She couldn't tell whether they were broken or not, but Charles couldn't use them.  
  
"That's why." Conkista said, pointing at the Bulbasaur.  
  
"Leave my Bulbasaur alone! Charles didn't do anything wrong!"  
  
"Can you read?"  
  
"Yes! Of course!"  
  
"Did you see the sign?"  
  
Ella E suddenly remembered...the warning sign in front of the cave that said "Plant and Water Pokémon not welcome". She looked at Charles. Charles looked up at her from a bruised and swollen and bleeding face.  
  
"Saur..."it wheezed. The Onix that had missed slithered over, snapped it's jaws shut hard on the Bulbasaur's bulb, and carried it off. Ella E could hear Charles shriek in either fear or pain as the Onix's started up their twisted game.  
  
"How can I get out of these bonds?"  
  
"Make them like you."  
  
"HOW?" Ella E said desperatly.  
  
"Be their friends." Conkista said, then walked off. Ella E, puzzled by these words, didn't know what to think.  
  
"Hey! Hey Onix!" she shouted at one near her.   
  
"Grooonix?" the Onix said, putting it's head near hers.  
  
"You know Onix, I heard that your segments can become as beautiful and hard as diamonds!"  
The Onix was flattered.  
  
"Onix!"  
  
"And there's nothing that can stand against your strength and your defense!"  
The Onix nodded happily.  
  
"I couldn't possibly hurt you, right?" Ella E said, leading the Onix on. It agreed with her readily.  
  
"Well, if I'm no threat to you, then why keep me captive?" Ella E said. The Onix's small, rock brain wasn't formatted to complex concepts as the fact that this was all trickery, and just followed the logical path. It pulled away the ropes that held Ella E, and she rubbed her arms to regain feeling in them. She ran past the Onix, and over to where the other two Onix's were batting around Charles.  
  
"Hey you!" she called up suddenly. Startled, they missed the next toss, and Charles went flying into a stone column. She ran over, picking it up. It wrapped it's vines tightly around her, looking for warmth and comfort. The Onix's were upset their ball was stolen. They began to slither close to her meaningfully. Worried, Ella E tried to think.  
  
"Conkista! Conkista!" she called out. The Onix's, astonished that she knew their leader's name, backed off a bit so that Conkista could fit through. She walked up.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Where are the rest of my Pokémon?"  
  
"We have them."  
  
"Can I have them back?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"You're dangerous."  
  
"Can I have them back though?"  
  
"No."  
  
It was worth a shot. She pretended to smack Charles over the head to fool the Onix's. They gave throaty, graty laughs and slithered off to play a new game. Ella E wandered off.  
  
This place was huge! There were dozens of Onix's coming and going to various locations. Almost like an Onix city.  
  
She continued walking around, hoping to find some sign of where her Pokémon where.  
  
"Geo." she heard someone whisper next to her. She turned, and saw the same Geodude who had helped her before.  
  
"Geodude...Geogeodude!" The Geodude said, sounding relieved at finding her. Ella E was just as relieved. She grabbed the Geodude and hugged it.  
  
"I'm glad you found me! I need all the help I can get! Did you see my Pokéballs? I think Conkista hid them."  
  
The Geodude looked thoughtful. It had been here before, and knew what Ella E was talking about. It motioned for her to grab onto it's back. She shifted Charles so know he clung to her back with his vines, then she leapt on the Geodude's back. It didn't even waver beneath her weight. She hung on tight, and the Geodude flew through the air. It stopped in front of a Stalactite. Hanging from it were several hooks, and hanging from those were several belts of different trainers. Apparently, they had never got the chance to retrieve their Pokémon.   
  
She shuddered at the thought. She looked for her belt, grabbed it, and asked the Geodude if it knew a way out. It nodded sadly, then zipped out of the room, avoiding the attention of the great rock snakes. Ella closed her eyes and heard wind whistling by. Finally, the whistling became a huge vicious roar. She opened her eyes, and found herself at the foot of a gigantic waterfall. She noticed the Geodude looking increasingly uncomfortable. She held out an empty Pokéball.  
  
"You have to get in the ball. Then I can carry you to safety." she tried to say to the Geodude.   
The Geodude was hesitant. It had been a wild Pokémon all it's life. It liked the feeling. But if he went in that ball, he knew he would have to do what the girl said, and that worried him. He liked his freedom. But then again, what choice did he have?  
  
"Please?" Ella E said, looking right into the Geodude's eyes. The Geodude sighed. It had a choice.  
  
It extended a stony finger, and pressed the button in front of the pokéball. The top rose slowly, and energy flowed around him, pulling at his being, sucking him in bit by bit into that pokéball he had heard of so much from other Pokémon that were abandoned. He had made his choice. 


	3. Evil

Chapter 9  
  
"Sidetracked a bit, but back on course?"  
  
  
Ella E put the Pokéball on her side. She hoped that the Geodude wouldn't hate her for this.  
  
The Geodude...she was uncomfortable with the idea, but she knew that it was hers. And it needed a name.  
  
"How about...Gogo? Cause you go really fast?" She said to the Pokéball. It did not respond.  
  
She stared upwards at the massive waterfall that was crashing down near her. She could see glimmers of daylight above...she would have to climb up there.  
  
Or maybe not...  
  
Charles was still clinging desperatly to her back with it's vines.  
  
"Hey Charles!"  
  
Charles opened a swollen eye.  
  
"Bulba?"  
  
"Charles, do you see that rock up there?"  
  
Charles looked up.  
  
"Bulba." It nodded.  
  
"Can you reach it with your vines?"  
  
"Bulba."  
  
"Then go ahead!"  
  
"Saur." Charles shook it's head no.  
  
"Huh? Why not?"  
  
"Bulba bulbasaur...saur saur bulbasaur!"  
  
Ella E tried hard to understand Charles. Suddenly, floating eatherelly in her head, was the voice of Ashstar.  
  
"You can understand you're Pokémon when you care enough about them."  
  
She shook the voice away. That liar...lying about Pokémon abuse, lying about everything! But...but she had understood Charles that one time. Charles still shied away from Ella E, still uncertain at some times.  
  
"The...the rock...is....tooo....too...weak!" Ella E said, translating it finally. She then realized the seriousness of what Charles had said.  
  
"Too weak? You mean it would break?"  
  
Charles nodded.  
  
"Can you think of any other way?"  
  
Charles extended a vine to a Stalactite neat the top of the waterfall.  
  
"Great!" Ella E said, clapping her hands together. She grabbed Charles. Charles began painfully bringing back its vine, raising it and it's trainer higher.  
  
"Kabu? Kabuto?" the thing on her arm said. Ella E shrieked and was about to let go when she remembered that the Kabuto had been stuck there. How long? She hadn't even noticed it. The Kabuto was stuck like glue. It had apparently woken up.  
  
"Hi Kabuto!" she said. "You need a nickname!"  
  
The Kabuto closed it's tiny eyes and clung tighter to her arm.  
  
"How about Static? You cling...Your Static and you cling!" Ella E laughed at her own pun, and Charles rolled his eyes.  
  
Static did not remark on his new name.  
  
Charles, realizing that Ella E was becoming heavy, extended another vine to the Stalactite, and now lifted with both. Soon they were at the tip of the Stalactite, and Ella E grabbed it thankfully, relieving some pressure on poor Charles. But they weren't in the best of places. She was now clinging to a rock at the top of a roaring waterfall.  
  
"What do we do Charles?"  
  
"Saur! Bulba saur...bulba saur saur saur!"  
  
Ella E could now understand. She let Charles climb onto her backpack, so it could get leverage. It extended it's vines to a stalactite above some dry land near the waterfall. If they could reach that, they would be close to daylight!  
  
Charles shot out his vines again, where they wrapped several times around the Stalagtite and straightened. Now Ella E was terrified. They would have to let go of the Stalactite they were on, and swing to safety on the other edge.  
  
"Ready Charles?"  
  
"Bulbasaur..." Charles said, sounding just as scared as her.  
  
Ella E let go of the Stalactite, and let herself swing out into space.  
  
  
Chapter 10  
  
"Why does everyone tell me everything?"  
  
  
Ella E closed her eyes, hoping she would make it to the ledge. She opened her eyes for a moment, and saw blackness. She thought it was the dark of the cave.  
  
She was wrong.  
  
The black was a huge paw. It moved faster then lightning, snatching her out of the air, and holding her firmly in it's grasp.  
  
She knew she had stopped moving. She felt fur, and she screamed. Nothing she knew of was this furry...and this big...except...  
  
She shuddered as she felt herself being carried off. She felt the rumbling thuds of the creature that was carrying her's paws. She counted. 4 paws hit the ground at individual times. Yet she was being held by one.  
  
Now she knew for certain. There were only two Pokémon she could think off with that had 6 limbs off hand. She knew Machamps didn't get this big...  
  
That meant only one thing.  
  
She opened her eyes, looking around. Static was luckily not being crushed. Charles was next to her, his head sticking up so he could breath. She stared at her captor, and a pair of huge, slit eyes stared back at her.  
  
Yes, there was no doubt about it. Her cousin Radic had told her about this creature once, and never spoke of it again. Neither did Red.   
  
It was the Manachu!  
  
The Manachu carried her into the cavern, which was light by the flashings of light of several hundred pairs of shimmering gold or silver wings. Cries echoed through the room of "Gencey!" and "Clegencyana!". The Manachu dropped her, and she fell and she screamed. She was so high up, if she hit the floor from this high, she would die! The Manachu continued on it's way, and she shrieked as the ground came for her. She suddenly felt paws under her arms.  
  
"Clecle!" The two creatures said, lifting her. She felt vines whip around her foot, and saw Charles hanging below her, safe. The creatures beat their massive wings, and she rose easily. They carried her a short distance, then let her down. She gaped in awe. Red had told her how beautiful the creatures were, but she had no idea...  
  
She nearly tripped over another creature, this time a blue one with grey stripes. If she remember Red's description, this must have been the Ranachu.  
  
"Rana..." it said, angry at being stepped over. She shuddered at it's voice...like blood running down a hill. That was strange, she thought. That was exactly how Radic and Red had described it.  
  
"Mana..." The humongous behemoth in the middle of the cavern said, it's voice shaky. She shivered again. That horrid voice...The creature layed down, using it's front paws to gesture. It noticed her uncomprehension, then put it's paws to it's head.  
  
"CAN YOU HEAR ME?" a sudden, deafening voice from inside her head shouted. She shrieked and held her head. It felt like it would explode.  
  
"YES! YES! Tone down your voice a little!" She shouted. The Manachu smiled.  
  
"I'm glad. I've never tried this communication with humans before. You are very lucky." the Manachu thought to her. Ella E had no previous experience with Psychics, thus was unused to having someone else in her brain.  
  
"Where am I? Why am I here?" she thought back to the best of her ability. The Manachu laughed in her head.  
  
"You're not very good at this. But I will tell you. You've reached my community."  
  
"Community?"  
  
"Community. This is where I, the Gencey's, the Clegencyana's, and the Ranachu's live."  
  
"What about the Riachus?" she thought. She remembered Radic's Riachu...he had never actually claimed it, but it followed him everywhere. The Manachu looked at her, wondering how she knew about it. She studied it's face, and saw it's lip rising in a snarl of rage, it's huge fangs that were longer then her showing.  
  
"We....don't like the Riachu's in here." it thought angrily.  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"We just don't." the power of the thought and it's conciseness told Ella E too stop asking.  
  
"So, Ella E, why are you wandering though my cave?"  
  
"How do you know my name?"  
  
"I know everything about you. In a split second, I had explored every crevice in your brain. I know all your thoughts and feelings."  
  
Ella E shuddered.  
  
"Why do you want me here?" she asked again. The Manachu thudded down a paw that was half as tall as she was down next to her, with long, sharp claws.  
  
"We want you here because we did."  
  
The Ranachu was now sniffing her busily. When it stood on it's hind paws, it was as tall as she was. It sniffed her cautiously. Then prowled around uneasily, it's crecent-moon tipped tail lashing angrily.  
  
"Well, I'm here. Can I go now?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Then when?"  
  
"Never."  
  
  
Chapter 11  
  
"How big is a Manachu, anyway?"  
  
  
"What do you MEAN never?!" Ella E said, forgetting to think it. The Manachu laughed quietly to itself, sounding disturbing.  
  
"We're keeping you here."  
  
"If your planning to eat me, I'm not big enough for...for your kind."  
  
The Manachu laughed openly, showing gleaming silver fangs. It was NOT a pleasant noise...it made Ella E shiver in horror.  
  
"I wouldn't eat humans." it thought back to her. "They, as you said, aren't big enough. A Snorlax or two a day can keep me fed."  
  
"A Snorlax or two A DAY?!" Ella E shouted again, forgetting to think it. The Manachu could understand her whether she thought or spoke, so it didn't matter.  
  
"Yes. How else can I keep this large body moving and growing? I breed them in the back for my consumption."  
  
"But they are super, super rare! There are only two left in this world!" Ella E thought, horrified.  
  
"Two escaped."  
  
"So you mean..."  
  
"The two Snorlaxs you know of are refugees from my center. Thank you for telling me where they have gone. Do you know who has them?"  
  
"Uh..." she said. She honestly didn't.  
  
"It doesn't matter. I have plenty back there."  
  
"How many?" Ella E thought back. She wished she could stop the Manachu's communication...it's voice was so horrid. But she didn't know how to block her mind against it.  
  
"Over a several hundred or so. Which reminds me, Lunch is soon." The Manachu looked behind itself, then looked back at her. She tried to look around it to see the Snorlaxs, but the Manachu's tail slammed down, the one with the ball as huge as a boulder with tiny ones orbiting it, and she took the hint.  
  
"Why are you here?"  
  
"It's large enough to accompany me."  
  
"Outside it is too."  
  
"Here I go unnoticed."  
  
"Well, someone must of noticed when you were..."  
  
"Born. I was not hatched from a egg. Almost no one noticed."  
  
"But you're so..."  
  
The Manachu laughed again, and Ella E had to sit down because her body would not stop shivering.  
  
"Not all things start out big. Let me tell you. Wait...I may need some help on this." it thought to her. Then it turned it's head and shouted. "MANACHU!" Rocks shook loose from the ceiling, crashing down. Instantly, a Clegencyana appeared next to it.  
  
"Cle?"  
  
"Manamanachu..."  
  
"Gencyana!" The Clegencyana said happily, and flew off. It returned with a Gencey.  
  
"Gencey?'" The Gencey said. The Manachu pointed down, and the two creatures alighted next to Ella E. She stared at them in wonder. The Clegencyana was almost as tall as a human, standing fully upright, and the Gencey was only a little smaller. The Manachu pointed at the Ranachu.  
  
"Manachu."  
  
The Ranachu sat behind her. Again the Manachu's thoughts entered her head.  
  
"There. That's almost everyone. The Clegencyana is Lumina, the Gencey is Solaris, and the Ranachu is Torrent. They found me."  
  
Ella E listened as the Manachu began it's story.  
  
Manachu's are created in a peculiar way. They have two tails, one with two lightning bolts crisscrossed over one another with little orbiters, as the Manachu called it, and the other, a large ball with orbiters. Every Manachu was born with the ability of creating another one. Only when they are full grown. Implanted in the ball of the Manachu's tail is a baby Manachu. The only way to get it to come out is to have the right number of Orbiters.  
  
Ella E wondered how one knew how many and how to get more orbiters, but didn't ask.   
  
Baby Manachu's were tiny, very tiny. About as a big as a Riachu, probably smaller. When this Manachu was born, it was completly alone. As soon as it's birth is over, the parent clears out...they could crush the child. So the Manachu was alone. That was when Solaris and Lumina found it.   
  
The Manachu translated the others for Ella E, so she could understand. Solaris continued.  
Many of the Genceys and Clegencyana's have in-grown tendencies, one of which is a fondness for small cubs. So when they found the Manachu, they were entranced, and claimed it as their own. They took care of it, fed it, and protected it. That's when Torrent came in.  
  
Torrent took on the story from there.  
  
When he had stumbled over the Manachu, Solaris and Lumina were concerned, but Torrent soon gained their trust. Soon after the Riachu came in.  
  
As soon as that name was mentioned, Ella E noticed the Ranachu and Manachu snarling. The Manachu picked up the story.  
  
The four of them helped raise the Manachu, which grew bigger every day. Soon, Solaris could no longer lift it alone. Then neither could Lumina. And soon both of them together couldn't pick it up. The older it got, the more it grew apart from Torrent...Torrent had liked to boss the Manachu around, and now it was gaining the mass it needed to assert itself.  
  
Torrent snorted at this point, but didn't comment.  
  
Soon it needed more food every day...food that Solaris and Lumina couldn't provide. And trainers kept trying to capture them. The Manachu was too big to be concealed anymore, and attracted attention. Soon they were driven underground, and Solaris and Lumina took them to their city. It was large, but all the Gencey's and Clegencyana's were frightened all the time of attackers.  
  
Solaris and Lumina both added in.  
  
They had never realized how frightened they used to be. But with the Manachu, they weren't frightened. The Manachu promised it would take care of the city, if the city would take care of it. That was how the symbiotic relationship started.  
  
Ella E felt there was more to that story then met the eye, but didn't feel right asking any more questions. She noticed them all staring at her. Nervous, she looked for something to keep her attention, and noticed a Meowth sitting a short distance away, pawing at something on the ground. The strange thing was it had Pikachu ears. She saw a band over it's head, and assumed someone put the headband on it as a joke.  
  
"C'mere, Meowth! C'mon!"  
  
The Creature looked up. It was almost identical to a Meowth, with gentler eyes and brown front paws, and all the fur on it's tail stood straight up. The Meowth walked towards her, sniffed her, then leapt on her, using it's sharp claws to climb and anchor itself firmly on her shoulder. She winced.  
  
"What a cute Meowth! I wonder why someone put that headband on you..." she said. She grabbed hold of the ears and tried to pull them off. They were stuck. The Meowth looked angry, and suddenly she was shocked with electricity. She screamed, more in surprise then pain, and stared at the Meowth. It sat down, looked at her, and smiled.  
  
"Pikanya!" it said.  
  
  
Chapter 12  
  
"A Pika-WHAT now?!"  
  
  
"Nyao Nyao! Pikanya!" the supposed-Meowth cried, running up to Ella E and licking her face. She stared at it.  
  
"But...but your a meowth!"  
  
"It should be obvious now it isn't." she heard the horrible voice in her head say again. She had forgotten about the Manachu. "It's another creature that shares in our society."  
  
She felt little buzzing tingles where the Pikanya's tongue had touched her.  
  
"Is it really a Pikanya? Is that it's name?"  
  
"What we assume it to be. It always says that. But you can change it, if you want."  
  
"I can change it?"  
  
"So far, we've only seen one."  
  
She stared at it. Pikanya was such a silly name for it...even though it did have those ears...Pikanyao sounded better.  
  
"I'll call it Pikanyao until I think of something better." she said. The newly-christened Pikanyao leaped in her arms and curled up against her chest. How she wished it were a Growlithe! It began purring.  
  
"It likes you. That's strange."  
  
"...Why can't I go? I'm really of no use. really...I can't even scream well." she said, trying to remember what Radic and Red had told her of their limited experience with this frightening creature. It smiled at her, showing it's fangs. It meant it to be friendly, but it seemed to her frightening and threatening.  
  
"You do not seem as afraid of me as others...you hold my gaze unfaltering. I will make you a deal. I will let you leave if you take the Pika...Nyao with you."  
  
She gaped, staring at the immense Black eyes that were as long as she was. "wh...what?"  
  
"We don't want it here...and it doesn't want to stay. And it claims that it can foresee the future with that charm." the Manachu scoffed. "It's annoying. I think it's cuddling up to you because it thinks you'll take it away from here."  
  
She pet the Pikanyao, and looked at it. It turned over so she could pet it's tummy, purring loudly.   
  
"Sure I'll take it away. I'd be glad to."  
  
"Then get out of my sight." The Manachu snarled, then stood and left, it's rumbling pawthuds shaking the ground. The Ranachu glared at her, then left also. Soon she was surronded only by Genceys and Clegencyana's. One of them hovered close to her, and then sat on her shoulder. It was surprisingly light.  
  
"Gencey!" it said pleasantly.  
  
"Hello to you too." she said back. The Pikanyao crawled out of her arms, then climbed onto her other shoulder, firmly grasping it with it's claws. She winced.  
  
"I think I'll call you..." she began at the Pikanyao. It looked at her quizzically. "Nyashock. That's a nice nickname."  
  
"Nyashock!" the creature said. She stared at it in surprise.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Nya nya! Nyashock!" it jumped from her shoulder onto the floor. She stared at it.  
  
"But...but you always said Pikanyao..."  
  
"Pikanyao?"  
  
"Hmmm...wait a minute. Yer name is Charles now."  
  
"Bulbasaur?" Charles said from behind her.  
  
"Charles Charles!" the creature said, licking itself. She regarded it carefully.  
  
"So whatever I say your name is, that's what you say...I like Nyashock."  
  
"Nyashock!" the furry thing said, leaping back into her arms. She raised it's head so she could look at it better.   
  
The Pikachu ears looked like they were attached to the band on it's forehead, but in fact the only resided behind them. They were really attached. She felt them. They were warm...there was definitly blood running in them. They were real. She looked at the charm on it's head...it was like a giant, carved ruby. And she pet it's tail, trying to smooth down it's fur, but the tail fur stood straight on end soon after she touched it.   
  
"Nya?" it said. She noticed it's eyes were bigger and more inquisitive then a regular Meowth's.  
  
"You're cute, Nyashock."  
  
"Shock! Nyashock!"  
  
"Gencey?" the Gencey on her shoulder said. Nyashock batted at her tail playfully, but the Gencey soon pulled it out of reach. Ella E put the Nyashock on her shoulder, then carefully lifted the Gencey off her other one.  
  
"Sorry. I must be going now." she said to it. She set it down, and began walking off. She heard the fluttering of wings behind her, and noticed the Gencey was following her. She shrugged it off. She was sure it would get bored and return to it's friends soon. She kept walking.  
  
"Gencey?" the Gencey said. She ignored it. Ella E walked out of the cavern, into a dark tunnel. She had seen light up here, she was sure of it. She crawled over the rocks, tripping and sliding. Once when she had fallen, she heard an angry "Kabuto!" from her arm. Static was not happy. Neither was Charles.  
  
"Bulbasaur..." Charles moaned from behind her.  
  
"I can't wait to get out of here..." Ella E said to herself. She found a rock blocking her path. She pushed with all her strength, and it rolled away. Finally, she was out in open air! She was out!  
  
"Gencey!"  
  
  
Chapter 13  
  
"Two new Pokémon..."  
  
  
"You're still following me?" Ella E stared at the Gencey.  
  
"Gencey! Gencey!" it said, smiling innocently.  
  
"Shock? Nyashock?" the Nyashock said, leaping from Ella E's arms and batting at the Gencey.  
  
"Gencey!" it cried, distressed, and flapped it's little gold wings, rising out of the range of the Nyashock's attacks. The Nyashock sniffed and walked back to Ella E.  
  
"Well, if you really want to come with me..." she said to the Gencey.  
  
"Gencey! Gencey!" it said pleadingly. Ella E looked through her backpack, and found he last two Pokéballs. She held out one to both the Gencey and the Nyashock.  
  
"You'll have to get in these."  
  
The Gencey and the Nyashock looked doubtful. Nyashock was the first to touch it, being sucked in a flash of brown and cream energy. The Gencey fluttered near her.  
  
"Gencey?"  
  
"You need a nickname...I'll call you Eclipse! You look like you came from Heaven!"  
  
"Gencey!" the Gencey said, snuggling up to her.  
  
"Even got the halo." Ella E smiled. The Gencey tapped the button on the Pokéball, and dissapeared in a flash of light. She put the two Pokéballs back in her belt.  
  
"Bulbasaaaur...." Charles wheezed behind her.  
  
"Do you want to rest, Charles?"  
  
"Bulba."  
  
She held out it's Pokéball, and Charles went in gratefully.   
  
"Kabuto..." hissed Static, clinging to her arm.   
  
"Do you wanna go back too?"  
  
"Kabuto." it said. It gripped her arm tighter, refusing to let go. She sighed.  
  
"Fine Static, you can stay there if you want. Now where was I going?"  
  
She rubbed her head, trying to remember. There was no telling how long she had been beneath the earth, and so much had happened she had forgotten what she was hunting for.  
  
She put her hands distractedly in her pockets, and felt a crumpled piece of paper. She took it out and unfolded it.  
  
It was a Growlithe in mid-leap. The last picture Prof. Oak had given her before she had headed off.  
  
Now she remembered. Her Growlithe! Growlissa! She couldn't believe she had forgotten! She then remembered what she had wanted to do originally. She had wanted a Growlithe...nothing else. But now she felt like she wanted something else. She didn't know what it was though...  
  
She looked in her Backpack, thinking of something she wanted to do, and took out every Pokémon she owned, counting.  
  
"There's Charles the Bulbasaur...Beeffff PokémonO the Spearow.... Eclipse the Gencey...Nyashock...GoGo the Geodude...Static the Kabuto...That's a complete team! Good! That should be more then I'll ever need."  
  
She began walking briskly, but soon slowed down. She felt lonely without some Pokémon to accompany her. She looked at Static, who remained stubbornly silent.   
  
"Hmm..." she said. She reached in her backpack, closed her eyes, and chose a Pokéball at Random. She called it out.  
  
"Charmander?" the new Pokémon said, confused.  
  
"A Charmander? Where did this come from?" she said, utterly confused. The Charmander looked at her.  
  
"Char? CHAR!" it said, suddenly remembering her! The last time this Charmander had seen her had been the battle with Charles!   
  
"Charmander!" it shrieked in fear, beginning to run.  
  
"No, wait! Come back, Charmander! Caleb will be angry if you dissapear on me!"  
  
Charmander thought of Caleb and shuddered. She recalled it quickly.  
  
"I completly forgot about that Charmander....I guess that makes 7...well...not really. The Charmander doesn't belong to me...but still 7." She dug her other hand in her backpack and pulled out another Pokéball. She put Charmander's back.  
  
"Spearow!" she heard the happy voice of Beef cry. Beef flapped it's wings, alighting on her shoulder.  
  
"Now where am I? I think I was heading for Cerulean city..." she said. She chose a direction and began walking.  
  
Soon night came, and she was getting tired. But she could see light...she just had to go a little further. She finally stumbled into Cerulean city. She payed for a stay in the hotel, and got some much needed rest.  
  
In the morning she felt much better. She noticed that Beef was sitting on the edge a chair, asleep. She nudged it.  
  
"Beef...Hey Beef! Wake up!"  
  
"Spear..." Beef said groggily, climbing onto her shoulder.  
  
"It's time to fight the leader of Cerulean gym!"  
  
  
Chapter 14  
  
"The Leader of Cerulean Gym"  
  
  
Ella E flipped her guide open and looked up the Cerulean Gym leader. According to this, she had a Staryu, a Starmie, and a TM for Bubble Beam. This could be promising...  
  
"Spear Spear!" Beef reminded her. She remember Kame and Kotake, the leaders of Pewter Gym. THEY certainly weren't in her guide. And they didn't have the same Pokémon, either.  
  
She sighed. She had Nyashock and Charles...they should be more then a match against anything this gym had to offer.  
  
She saw the gym. The last time she had seen it, it had a Dewgong decorating the front. It had obviously undergone some re-decorating. The front was know blue, like a glass dome, and she could see various water Pokémon swimming around. She entered the gym, and found the path slanting downwards. She sighed at the thought of having to go underground again.  
  
She found it slightly unsettling to have all these water Pokémon swimming around her, yet not affecting her. One Gyarados came close, and she was frightened. Finally, she came to the center of the dome, where a large circular pool dominated. She skirted the edges.  
  
"Hello? Anyone here?" she called out. There was no reply.  
  
"Spearow?" Beef cried out also. This time there was a reply.  
  
"Someone's here? Uh oh...I better get ready!" the voice sounded nervous and uneven. Soon, a young boy with glasses walked out, clipping the last of his Pokéballs to his belt.  
  
"Yeah? What do you want?" he asked her.  
  
"I'm here to get another badge." Ella E said confidentally. She noticed she was taller then the boy, but the boy seemed younger then her.  
  
"Well, I'm the leader here. My name's Max. Pleasure to meet you." he said, smiling and holding out his hand.  
  
"Thanks..." Ella E said awkwardly, taking it. She had never remembered any gym leaders being this polite...  
  
"Spear?" Beef said from her shoulder.  
  
"Shall we start? Four Pokémon each." he said. Nimbly, he lept from one floating buoy to the next until he was on a large floating platform. Ella E was surprised at his gracefulness...he seemed so awkward.  
  
"Uh...sure." She said. She was comfortable around water, so just dove in and stroked for the platform. She enjoyed the pool...it was refreshingly cool. Beef had flown off her shoulder as soon as she had entered the water, and now was circling around, indignant at getting wet.  
Ella E looked through her Pokéballs.  
  
"Hmmm...I'll use Nyashock and Charles...and for some variety, Eclipse and Static." she said. She chose their Pokéballs, and stood ready.  
  
"I've chosen!" she called out.  
  
"Wait a minute! I'm still thinking!" Max called back to her. Ella E sat down and waited.   
  
"Okay, I'm done!" Max said.  
  
"Finally..." Ella E mumbled to herself.  
  
"Max calls....Poliwag!" Max said, throwing his ball forward.  
  
"Poli?" the tiny creature said. It used it's tail to support itself beneath the water.  
  
"Okay, I call....Nyashock!" Ella E said, throwing the ball.  
  
"A what?" Max said confused, as the Pokémon sprang out. Nyashock looked at the water, then the platform, then promptly freaked out.  
  
"NYAAA!" it shrieked, leaping on Ella E's shoulder and hissing at the water.  
  
"A Meowth?" Max asked.  
  
"Not quite." Ella E said, detaching the Nyashock from her shoulder. She nudged it forward. All it's fur stood up, but it remained on the platform. She thought hard. She didn't know any of the Nyashock's attacks, and if her guide didn't know about the new Gym leaders, it certainly wouldn't know about the Nyashock.  
  
"Ahem." her Pokédex said from her pocket. She groaned and took it.  
  
"Scan it and tell me what it is." She said reluctantly.  
  
"Scanning..." the Pokédex hummed. "It's a....Nyashock. An Electric Cat. It's Electric attacks are most powerful when angered. It is level 16, and knows Scratch, Thunder Shock, Bite, and Growl."  
  
Ella E snapped her Pokédex shut, and shoved it in her pocket.  
  
"Wow! I've never seen such a Pokémon!" Max said, amazed. He lifted his glasses to make sure he was seeing straight. "Well, anyway, Poliwag! Use Hypnosis!"  
  
"Poliwag!" the Pokémon replied happily. Slowly the spiral pattern on it's stomach began to spin, and Nyashock couldn't keep it's eyes off it. Soon it grew tired, and fell asleep.  
  
"Nya..." it snored.  
  
"Darn it, Nyashock!" Ella E said angrily. She recalled it, and throw out Charles' pokéball.  
  
"Charles!" Use your Vinewhip!"  
  
"Poliwag, use your Hypnosis!"  
  
Poliwag got the advantage, and Charles was soon sleeping too.  
  
"Darn it! I hate that attack..." Ella E mumbled to herself, and then grabbed Eclipse's ball.  
  
"Go, Eclipse!"  
  
"Gencey!" Eclipse said cheerfully, stretching it's wings as it sprang out.  
  
"Wow!" Max said, fascinated. "What's that?"  
  
"It's a Gencey..." said Ella E, now in a even worse humor since she realized she would have to take out her Pokédex again. She didn't trust Technology too much...  
  
"Scan that." she said simply, pointing at the Gencey.  
  
"Scanning..." the Pokédex beeped. "A Gencey. A Fluff Pokémon. It's attacks are based more around song then of actual physical effort. It is level 18, and knows the attacks Flufftackle, Siren Song, and Wing song."  
  
"What do those do? I've never heard of them before..." Ella E said, confused. The Gencey laughed and looked at her pleasantly.  
  
"Flufftackle: An attack where the Gencey flies over, and rubs the puffball on the end of it's tail into the attackers nose. This causes them to sneeze, and lets the Gencey attack. Siren Song: lures the other Pokémon to sleep, then takes their HP. This attack is not very effective until it evolves."  
  
"Into a Clegencyana." Ella E supplied.  
  
"Wing Song:" her Pokédex continued. "An attack which is like whirlwind, but still takes away HP. Then the HP is given to the pokémon with the lowest energy."  
  
She snapped the Pokédex shut, and shoved it in her pocket.   
  
"Okay, Eclipse! Flufftackle, now!" she said, feeling extremely stupid while she was saying it.  
The Gencey spread it's golden wings, and rose into the air.  
  
"Gencey!" it said, and made it's way towards the Poliwag.  
  
  
Chapter 15  
  
"Gencey's don't like battling..."  
  
  
"Poliwag?" Max's Poliwag said, confused at the strange Pokémon fluttering towards it. Eclipse floated above it, flapping it's wings.  
  
"Gencey..." it said. It whipped it's tail around, shoving the puff on the end in the Poliwag's face.  
  
"Wag!" it cried, surprised. Eclipse moved surprisingly quickly, charging into the Poliwag's side. It sank into the water, leaving a trail of surprised bubbles. Eclipse was shaking., and winged unsteadily back to Ella E, looking distressed.  
  
"What's wrong, Eclipse?" she asked.  
  
"Gen..." Eclipse said, sounding almost sick. It was trembling all over. It had never fought before, and never had the urge too...now battle frightened it.  
  
"Poliwag! Water gun, now!" Max called.  
  
"Poliwaaaag!" the Pokémon cried, shooting a stream of water at the Gencey, hitting it square in the back.  
  
"CEEEEY!" Eclipse cried, a shrill pained sound. Ella E felt increasingly guilty at sending such a gentle Pokémon into battle, and now wished with all her heart that Eclipse wouldn't hate her for this.  
  
Eclipse flew across the platform from the power of the stream of water, and crashed into the water with a splash. Eclipse began struggling, kicking and yelling. Eclipse had no idea how to swim!  
  
"Eclipse!" Ella E cried.  
  
"Poliwag, use Bubble!"  
  
The Poliwag inhaled, and breathed a stream of bubbles at the Gencey, who was fumbling feebly in the water. It's pretty, white, fluffy fur was now plastered to it's body. Ella E reached in, grabbed Eclipse's tail, and pulled it out. Eclipse was breathing hoarsely, now shaking immensly.  
  
"Hey!" Max said.  
  
"This is it's first time battling, okay? Give me a break!" Ella E called to him. He shrugged and fell silent. Ella E stroked the Gencey's forehead, right between it's tiny white horns. The Halo was drooping now, seeming now unbearably heavy.  
  
"I'm sorry Eclipse...I didn't know you had no idea how to swim."  
  
"G...genc....gencey...." Eclipse moaned.  
  
"I'll bring out Static, okay? You can rest..."  
  
"Gencey!" Eclipse said suddenly. Ella E looked surprised. The Gencey stood on trembling paws, and shook itself, scattering water everywhere. Now it looked damp, but it could fly. It spread it's shining wings and went to the air.   
  
"Gencey! Gen Gen!" Eclipse said, angry. Ella E watched.  
  
"You still want to fight? But Eclipse..."  
  
"Gencey." Eclipse was adamant. It wasn't changing it's mind. Ella E sighed. She tried to remember the names of the attacks the Gencey knew...only one came to mind.  
  
"Eclipse, use your Siren Song!" Ella E cried.  
  
"Gencey!" Eclipse said, sounding determined. It flew over to the Poliwag, who watched it uncertainly. It closed it's eyes, keeping it's wings beating steadily. It opened it's mouth and began to sing. It was a eerie, haunting melody, which Ella E found compelling and entrancing. She could feel herself falling asleep.  
  
"GeeeeEeeencey, Gengengen Genceeey.....GeeeeEEeeeencey, Gengenceeeeeey...." Eclipse sang. Ella E recognized the tone...it was the song of the Jigglypuff....but there was something different about it. Instead of being sickeningly cute, like the Jigglypuff, this song was compelling in it's sinister undertone....a kind of lingering evilness around the sweet notes. Ella E was sure that that tone came from the Manachu, and living around it so much.  
  
The Poliwag's eyes drooped and closed, and it fell asleep. Eclipse circled it slowly, drawing energy from it into her. The Attack did not do as much damage as Ella E would have liked, but it helped heal the damage that Eclipse had taken.  
  
"Nyaaa...." Nyashock said, yawning. It stretched and looked around. Seeing the water, it hissed and raised it's fur, yowling angrily.  
  
Eclipse's attention was broken, and it snapped it's eyes to look at the Nyashock. The Poliwag was still asleep.  
  
"Come back, Eclipse!" Ella E said, holding out the Gencey's Pokéball. It came back in a flash of gold and white.  
  
"Good job, Eclipse." Ella E said to the Pokéball. She looked at Nyashock, who was ready for battle.  
  
"Nyashock, Thundershock now!" 


	4. Robbery

Chapter 16  
  
"Nyashock's turn"  
  
  
The Nyashock smiled evilly, it's ruby charm glinting. Slowly, from the base of it's tail, all the fur on it's body rose. As soon as every hair was standing, a charge flickered around it's raised fur. With devastating speed and accuracy, the Thundershock hit the Poliwag. Enveloped by the crackling energy, it fainted. Max recalled it.  
  
"Okay.....Max calls....Slowpoke!"  
  
The Pokéball burst open slowly, and a Slowpoke practically fell into the water.  
  
"Poke?" it said slowly.  
  
"Nyashock, use your Thundershock again!"  
  
"NyaaaaaaaSHOCK!" the electricity raged out of the Cat-like Pokémon, hitting the Slowpoke squarely. It staggered, but remained concious.  
  
"Slowpoke, Body Slam!" Max cried. Ella E wondered where he had gotten that attack, then remembered that there was a TM for it.  
  
The Slowpoke raised out of the water slowly onto Ella E's platform. It overbalanced, and the Nyashock shrieked and leaped on Ella E's face, avoiding the water. Ella E, now unbalanced and with a Nyashock on her face, Cartwheeled her arms to avoid falling over. It didn't work. She fell heavily on her back, and the Nyashock jumped clear.  
  
"Slooow..." the Slowpoke said, stalking the Nyashock agonizingly slowly. Ella E was too winded to get up and help, and could only turn and watch. Her whole body hurt.  
  
"Gencey?" she could hear Eclipse say. She felt one of it's furry paw touch her face, and she felt better.  
  
"Nyaaaaa!" the Nyashock shrieked, dashing around in a blur of cream and brown. The Slowpoke followed it confusedly. Then it sort of fell over. The Nyashock happened to be under it at that time.  
  
Bam!  
  
"NYAAAAAAASHOCK!" Nyashock screamed, as water flecked on it's fur. It's eyes glew red. Now it was REALLY angry. The heavy Slowpoke refused to move off the Nyashock. They Nyashock clawed at the platform uselessly. All the fur on it's body raised, and it hissed loudly.  
  
"NyaaaaaaaaaSHOOOOOOOOCCKKK!" it screamed. The Platform ruptured into several different pieces, and Ella E fell into the water with a astonished cry. Electrical Energy was surging from the Nyashock, lancing in huge bolts across the gym, shattering lights, but luckily enough, not shattering the glass seperating Ella E and Max from the huge aquarium. The Slowpoke took the full effect. The Lightning danced over the water, around Nyashock, and over the Slowpoke's body. The bolts shot in every direction, filling the gym with flashes of furious electrical energy. Eclipse screamed as the furious attack lashed into it's body, and it spiraled into the water. Max, in shock, didn't see a bolt coming for him. The lightning hit his chest, and he fell backwards into the water, his glasses flying off and glinting as they splashed into another section of the pool.  
  
Finally, it's attack was over. The Nyashock stopped screaming, and the Electricity fizzed out in a flash of sparks. The Nyashock panted beneath the now unconcious Slowpoke, it's eyes narrowed into slits.  
  
Ella E was shoved into the coolness of the pool, surprised and astonished. She took in a mouthful of water, and choked. She stroked swiftly to the surface of the pool, gratefully taking in a few breaths. Instantly concerned, she looked around. The Nyashock was struggling to get out from under the Slowpoke, weak from it's enormous burst. Max and Eclipse were no where to be seen.  
  
Wait...  
  
She looked over, and saw a flash of white and gold....  
  
Beneath the water!  
  
Eclipse was sinking!  
  
Ella E swiftly inhaled and dove, stroking powerfully after her Gencey. She was lucky she loved to swim so much. She watched through tearing eyes as the Gencey sank lower, seeming not to move. The pool was so deep....it seemed that even Ella E couldn't reach the bottom in one breath. She kicked furiously, and reached out. She grabbed the Gencey's wing, then stroked for the surface.  
Her lungs felt like they would pop! She had never been underwater this long! She saw stars dancing in her vision, and saw it getting blacker. Was she going to drown this way?...  
  
No! Not as long as she had to get Growlissa. She used that determination to keep swimming upwards. The Gencey she clutched in her arms, making sure it wasn't going to sink anymore. She stroked painfully, and she let loose her air in a stream of bubbles. She couldn't swim anymore! She was going to drown....  
  
Finally, she broke the surface of the water with a tremendous gasp. She panted, sucking in the air gratefully. She pulled the Gencey's head out of the water, and swam for a piece of the platform. She shoved the Gencey on it, and looked at it.  
  
"Eclipse?" she asked. It didn't respond. She looked at it carefully, and noticed it  
was breathing. She sighed a sigh of relief. Then she swam to a larger platform, one that could support her weight.  
  
"Max?" she called out. "Maaaaax! Where are you?"  
  
"Over...here..." she heard a wheezing voice say.  
  
"Max! Are you okay?"  
  
"Not really..." Max said. He pulled himself out of the water onto a platform near her. His glasses were missing, pulled off by the water.  
  
"Um....wanna try again tomorrow?" Ella E said. "I mean, you have to find your glasses..."  
  
"No....I'll let you have the badge. That...Nyashock...could havobliterated any of my Pokémon with that attack. I couldn't of beat it." suddenly reminded, Max recalled his slowpoke. She stared at him curiously.  
  
"To tell the truth, I don't much like battling. I'll let you have the badge if you let me see those strange new Pokémon of yours, okay?"  
  
"Uh...." Ella E blinked. "Sure."  
  
  
Chapter 17  
  
"A Serious Discussion"  
  
  
Max and Ella E were now resting at the local Pokécenter, munching on some fast food they had bought there. Eclipse was sitting on the edge of the table, it's wings bound together with bandages. It would be a while before it could fly again. It was munching happily on a bunch of grapes that Ella E had bought. It turned out that that was a Gencey's favorite food, and they wouldn't really eat anything else.  
  
Nyashock was happy with it's saucer of cream and some tuna. It seemed quite unperturbed after it's attack. The fur on it's tail remained raised, but it always seemed to do that.  
Ella E had reluctantly looked at her Pokédex for info after the Nyashock's devastating attack. She had found out it was called Thunderquake. It was one of the Nyashock's ultimate attack, but when she asked Nyashock about it, it only looked confused. She was fairly sure it didn't even remember how.  
  
Max squinted at the Pokémon. He wasn't able to see well, his glasses were still being retrieved from the bottom of the pool.  
  
"So this is a...A Nyase?"  
  
"A Nyashock."  
  
"And where did you find it?"  
  
"It's hard to explain." Ella E munched on a french fry. Max wiped off his hands on his shirt and continued writing on the pad of paper by his side. He seemed to be taking notes.  
  
"Keep going."  
  
"Well, I was underground, and after I escaped that town of Onix's...."  
  
"Wait a minute! Town of Onix's?"  
  
"Yeah. I don't know why, but they took me there. They had formed a society or something. It was run by a girl..."  
  
"Do you remember her name?"  
  
"It was something like.....Con....Conkista or something..." Ella E scratched her head, trying to remember.  
  
"Conkista?" Max sputtered. He had just taken a drink of his soda. He spat it out all over the Nyashock, who hissed angrily. It shot a tiny shock of power at him, and he jolted.   
Ella E sighed. This was the fourth time that the Nyashock had deliberatly shocked Max. They didn't seem to get along.  
  
"Gencey?" Eclipse said, listening in. It plucked a grape with it's furry paws and popped it in it's mouth.  
  
"Yeah...Why? Something important about it?"  
  
"So that's where she went!" Max said, sounding a bit resentful. He looked back at Ella E.   
  
"Sorry....I've been looking for Conkista for a while."  
  
"You knew her?"  
  
"Oh yes. She used to live here. In fact, we were friends." Max sighed dreamily. Ella E smiled. She suspected that Max was more then a friend with Conkista.  
  
"I thought we would run the gym together. I asked her of course. It would of been great to have her help. She was such an expert on Pokémon defense!"  
  
Ella E was now certain that Max had some type of crush on Conkista.  
  
"But she was always so quiet...so solemn. I don't know why. That's were she must have gone."  
  
"When did she leave?" Ella E took a bit of her burger.  
  
"It was raining..." Max said, trying to remember. "I was out training my Pokémon in the rain...and I saw her. She was running towards something, I think. Yes, she was running off in the direction of Pewter....I called out to her, but she didn't respond. So I followed her. She stopped at this Onix...it was hurt by the rain. She was trying to get it underground, but the Onix wasn't moving...." Max said. He looked up, trying hard to remember what happened. Ella E was entranced.  
  
"Onix's are very heavy. So I got my Golduck to help. It used it's psychic abilities to move the Onix inside a nearby cave. Conkista wouldn't leave it...she said she had to help it. I tried to get her to come back, but she wouldn't. So I left. She just dissapeared after that. It was always common belief that she was eaten or killed by the Onix, but apparently she was just running their society. Ooo, wait till I get my hands on her! Playing that kind of trick on everyone!"  
  
Ella E finished off her burger. She licked her fingers.  
  
"Hmmm...anyway, I escaped, and I was about to swing to the exit when a Manachu grabbed me."  
  
"I've heard of that Monster." Max said angrily. Ella E guessed that because he was a Gym leader, Radic and Red had the obligation to tell them what had happened and why they were missing for so long.  
  
"Yes. Anyway, it said It would let me go if I took the Nyashock with me. Eclipse followed me out."  
  
"Hmmm...." Max wrote furiously on his notepad.  
  
"Hey...you wouldn't happen to know the way to Route 8? I heard there are Growlithe there."  
  
"Growlithe?"  
  
"Yeah. I want one...badly."  
  
"Really? Are you going to evolve it?"  
  
"Evolve what?"  
  
"The Growlithe."  
  
"How?"  
  
"A firestone. You didn't know that?" Max stared at her. She shook her head.  
  
"I don't want to evolve my Growlithe. I like my Growlithe the way it is."  
  
"Everyone I know thinks Arcanine looks better."  
  
"Arcanine?" Ella E asked.  
  
"Yeah. Arcanine. Growlithe's Evolution. It's very beautiful."  
  
"I've never seen it." It had never occurred to Ella E too look for a evolution of Growlithe....  
  
Max searched his pockets. "Shoot...I don't have a picture of it on me. Anyway, I'm sure you'll see it eventually."  
  
"Can I have the badge?" Ella E asked. Max smiled.  
  
"Sure!" He handed her the badge, and she put it in her bag with the other ones. She looked at Eclipse and Nyashock, who were done eating and were looking at her.  
  
"Time to go!" she said to her Pokémon. Nyashock leaped on her shoulder, and she held Eclipse in her arms.  
  
"Goodbye!" Max said. "is there anyone you want me to tell you were here?"  
  
"Hmmm...." Ella E thought. She suddenly realized. "Caleb!"  
  
"Caleb?"  
  
"He should be here soon. Tell him I was here first. Oh, and give him this." she said. She placed the Pokéball with Caleb's Charmander on the table, and walked off.  
  
  
Chapter 18  
  
"Colt"  
  
  
Ella E wandered out of Cerulean City.   
  
"Kabu..." Static said from her arm. She stared at it with a sigh. She grabbed it, and tried to pull it off, but it refused to budge. It stuck like glue to her arm. Even when she slept! She was getting used to it, although it made her left hand more heavy. She kept walking.  
  
"Bulba?" Charles said from her feet. She halted.  
  
"What, Charles?" she asked. Charles sniffed, then looked up.  
  
"Bulbasaur...saur bulbasaurr...."  
  
"A trainer? Where?"  
  
She looked around, but didn't see anyone. Charles shook it's head and sighed. It sat down and waited.  
  
Sure enough, a boy stumbled from the reeds next to her, flushed and looking a bit frightened. She waited patiently until the boy noticed her. Then he promptly screamed. Ella E stepped back, startled. The boy looked relieved.  
  
"Oh, it's only you! Thank goodness, I thought it was someone dangerous!"  
  
For some reason Ella E was offended, but she didn't show it.  
  
"Why? Is someone after you?"  
  
"Yeah! Team Rocket!"  
  
"Team Rocket?" Ella E asked. She looked thoughtful rather then frightened. The boy nodded quickly.  
  
"They were after my Pokémon! I was lucky though, I got away! They didn't catch me that time! Anyway, I'm looking for Cerulean City. Have you seen it?"  
  
Ella E pointed back over her shoulder with her right hand slightly awkwardly.  
  
"Yeah, it's over that way."  
  
"Can I battle you?"  
  
"Huh?" Ella E said. The question had some so quickly.  
  
"Well, with the type of Pokémon I train, I need all the experience I can get. Please?"  
Ella E shrugged.  
  
"Sure I guess."  
  
The boy held out his hand. "I'm Colt."  
  
"That's an odd name."  
  
"Well, what's yours?"  
  
"I'm Ella E."  
  
"Well, that's a odd name too! So we're even."  
  
Ella E shrugged. He had a point. Colt walked a short distance away from her, and grabbed a Pokéball from his belt. He threw it, and it burst open.  
  
"Vulpix!" the creature cried. It blinked it's cute eyes and looked around.  
  
Ella E stared at Static, who remained stuck to her arm. She sighed, and looked through her Pokéballs. Finally, she decided on Beef's Pokéball. She threw it.  
  
"Go, Beffff PokémonO!" she shouted.  
  
"Speeeeaaaar!" the bird Pokémon cried, glad at being let out again. It flapped it's wings, surveying the Vulpix.  
  
"Vulpix?" the Vulpix said curiously.  
  
"Spearow!" Beef said back.  
  
"Vulpix, Use Ember!" Colt said. The Vulpix's eyes glowed. Beef hovered above it.  
  
"Beef, Fury Attack Now!" Ella E said. Beef had the advantage. It swooped down, scratching at the Vulpix's back.   
  
"Vul!" it squealed. Beef circled from the other side and dove again, tearing with it's beak at the furry back of the Vulpix.  
  
"PIX!" it shrieked. Beef dove one more time, striking hard, and the Vulpix rolled over, unable to utter a cry. It was furious!  
  
"Vuuuuullll....." it said in a low voice. Energy gathered around it, and it's eyes flashed red.  
  
"PIX!" it shouted, and flame spurted from it's mouth. It enveloped Beef, who looked charred, but still concious.  
  
"Vulpix, Tail Whip!" Colt said.  
  
"Beef, Fury Attack again!" Ella E shouted. The Spearow flew high, staring at the Vulpix, who was now bleeding from the cuts on it's back. It flattened it's wings, plummeting at the Vulpix.  
  
"SPEAAAAARRR!" it shrieked. It bit with it's beak into the Vulpix's back fur, and leveled. A piece of the fur ripped with the fury of the attack. The Vulpix screamed. Beef came for another attack, but this time the Vulpix was ready. It's beautiful fur marred by it's own blood, it glowered as the Spearow came in for another attack.  
  
"Row!" Beef shouted, coming in for the attack. The Vulpix spun swiftly, hitting the Spearow hard with it's tails. Beef slammed into the ground, and the Vulpix used it's tails to whip Beef. Beef rolled over, and sank it's beak into the first tail that hit it. It scratched viciously at the tail, flapping it's wings. the Vulpix turned it's head to bite it, and got a full fledged attack in it's face.  
  
With a moan, it fell over, deep in faint. Colt recalled it angrily.  
  
"Okay, you may have beaten Vulpix, but my other Pokémon will make you dead meat! GO!"  
  
He threw the ball, and in a flash of orange and black, a Growlithe emerged.  
  
  
Chapter 19  
  
"A battle with no clear winner..."  
  
  
Ella E stared at the Growlithe, that stood ready on it's paws, its lips raised in a snarl of rage. Her first reaction was awe. This was the Pokémon of her dreams! Standing right in front of her! It was more perfect and beautiful then she had ever imagined from her pictures. She wanted to run out and hug it and claim it as her own!  
  
But she saw the look of hatred in the Growlithe's eyes, and remembered that the Growlithe had to be her enemy. She was horribly torn, and she felt weak. She fell to the ground, holding her head.  
  
"Grooooooooowlithe!!" the Growlithe howled, a call of war. Beef looked at it.  
  
"Speearr..." it mumbled. The scar over it's eye prevented it from looking at the Growlithe directly. She looked at it. She turned to the Growlithe. She couldn't bear the thought of ordering one of her Pokémon to attack the dear little thing, it's fur raised in defense of it's owner.  
  
"Come on! Whose going to fight?" Colt shouted. Ella E jolted back to reality. She had to send out someone. She sighed. She had to continue fighting...and she didn't want to lose. She looked through her Pokéballs.  
  
"Go, Gogo!" she said. The ball burst open, and the Geodude appeared.  
  
"Geo? Geodude?" it said, confused.  
  
"Gogo, use Rock throw." Ella E said, with tears in her eyes. The Growlithe stood ready, waiting, it's white bushy tail held high.  
  
"Grow grow!" it barked.  
  
"Growlithe, Bite that Geodude NOW!" Colt shouted. The Growlithe began running. To Ella E, it seemed so beautiful. Like Poetry in Motion.   
  
"Grooooooowlithe!" it cried, leaping on top of GoGo and slamming it to the ground.  
  
"Geoooo!" Gogo cried. It levered itself upwards, and the Growlithe was thrown back. It landed on it's paws, though. Gogo, angry, lifted a huge boulder from the ground. It threw it at the Growlithe, who stared at it surprised.  
  
"No! Gogo, stop!" Ella E shouted. It was too late to stop the boulder, but Gogo turned to Ella E, surprised. The Boulder slammed into the Growlithe, who yelped pitifully. Ella E was openly crying now. She was casuing pain to a Growlithe! This was too much!  
  
Colt was surprised at her reaction, but now knew her weakness. He ran forward dramatically, gabbing his Growlithe and holding it in his arms like it was a baby.  
  
"Growlithe! Growlithe, speak to me!" he said desperatly. The Growlithe, noticing his wink, whimpered.  
  
"Groooow...." it said pitifully. Colt looked at Ella E angrily.  
  
"How could you!?" he shouted angrily at her. Ella E was wiping her eyes, trying to stop her tears.  
  
"I'm sorry! I never meant to hurt such a beautiful creature! I forfeit...you can win! Just take care of that Growlithe!" she said, feeling incredibly guilty and evil for doing such a thing.   
Colt carefully put the Growlithe down, then winked at it again. He stood up, and the Growlithe rolled on it's belly, looking pathetic, staring at Ella E. Ella E stared at it, tears in her eyes.  
  
"Oh, don't stare at me like that, please! Don't hate me!" Ella E said. Colt smiled.   
  
"NOW, GROWLITHE, NOW!" he shouted suddenly. The Growlithe leapt to it's paws, ran forward, and hit Ella E square in the chest. Shocked, she fell backwards, winded. She couldn't breathe. The Growlithe snarled in her face, and Ella E was frightened. There was a high pitched whistle, and then the Growlithe lept off her, a blur of orange and white and black, and ran after Colt, who was running away.  
  
Confused, Ella E reached for her bag, wanting to wipe her eyes.  
  
There was nothing there!  
  
She lept to her feet, shocked, but her bag wasn't there! It was gone!  
  
Suddenly it came to her. Colt! While the Growlithe had her pinned, he had grabbed her bag and ran! He WAS a member of Team Rocket! Why hadn't she guessed? Now her bag with her money and her Pokémon was gone!  
  
She stared at Static, who remained attached to her arm, and looked at Gogo, who looked utterly confused.  
  
  
Chapter 20  
  
"Ella E is NOT one to be robbed."  
  
  
Ella E's first reactions to the theft was sadness and hoplessness.  
  
That lasted for about a second.  
  
Then it was replaced with fiery hot rage. NO ONE took advantage of her! No member of TEAM ROCKET was going to run off with HER Pokémon! Not if she could help it!  
  
"Gogo! I'll need your help!"  
  
"Geo! Geodude!" Gogo said. She hopped on it's back, and Gogo took off at full speed towards the direction Colt had run off in. She closed her eyes against the tearing wind.  
  
"Tell me when you see Colt!" she said to Gogo.  
  
"Dude!" Gogo replied.  
  
She heard the wind rushing past her, and opened her eyes a crack to see Static stuck to her arm, seemingly asleep. She sighed as best as she could.  
  
"GEO!" Gogo cried. He screeched to a halt, and Ella E hopped off. Colt was sitting under a tree, his Growlithe in his lap.  
  
At the sight of the Growlithe, Ella E felt her anger melt away. Her Growlithe! How she wanted one of her own...  
  
She tried to focus on what had happened.  
  
"Give me back my Pokémon!" She said angrily at Colt. Colt seemed to be very relaxed.  
  
"Why should I?"  
  
Ella E clenched her fists together.  
  
"I'll make you!"  
  
"Let's not come to violence, shall we?" Colt said with a smile. He stood up, and the Growlithe hopped off, waiting for it's chance to attack. "Let's play a game."  
  
"I'm not playing any games." Ella E said between clenched teeth.  
  
"Grrrrrr..." the Growlithe snarled. She stared at it, feeling her anger disspitate again. She couldn't be mad at a Growlithe, and she didn't want one mad at her.  
  
"Ever heard of something called Pokémon Roulette?" Colt said, digging out the Pokéballs he had stolen from Ella E.  
  
"Yes." she said. She sat down. Colt put the balls into some type of spinning device. It stood on a stand, and would spin for quite a while once pushed. He placed Ella E's pokéballs in the holes. He returned Growlithe, and placed it's ball in one of the holes. He pointed at her Geodude, Gogo. Reluctantly, Ella E returned it, and he placed it next to the Growlithe's ball.  
  
"Here's the wager. If you get my Growlithe, you can keep it. If I get...say....your... Spearow, then I keep all your Pokémon." Colt said.  
  
"That's not very fair!" Ella E said.  
  
"Tsk Tsk. I've heard of you, Ella E. You're the girl obsessed with Growlithes. Isn't that what you went on this journey for?"  
  
Ella E, shocked by how right he was, nodded.  
  
"So the other Pokémon shouldn't matter to you. In fact, you probably benefit from this more then me." he said.  
  
Ella E nodded dumbly.  
  
"Let's begin." Colt said. He grabbed the edge of the device, and spun it. The Pokéballs became a blur of red and white as they spun faster and faster.   
  
Static opened it's eyes. "Kabuto..." it hissed. Ella E rapped it angrily, and it was quiet. She couldn't afford to mess up...  
  
She tried to keep her eyes on the pokéball with the Growlithe in it, but it spun so fast she couldn't keep track of it. Slowly it ground to a halt.  
  
"Do you want to go first?" Colt asked.  
  
Ella E nodded. She looked at the Pokéballs, all in a circle. She chose the Top-Most ball and opened it.  
  
"Bulba!" Charles said, hopping out. It looked at Ella E, then rubbed up to her happily. Colt frowned. He spun the device again, and the pokéballs whirled by. She stared at it anxiously. It came to a halt, and Colt picked the one in front of him.  
  
"Geo!" Gogo cried, floating out. It stared at Colt, then at Ella E with tearing eyes, seeming to understand what was going on. It watched as Colt spun the device again. This time Ella E chose the Pokéball near the sides.  
  
"Gencey!" a pleasant voice said. Eclipse flopped to the ground, it's wings still tied together. It looked at Ella E, then hopped to her happily, rubbing against her chest.  
  
"Gencey! Gencey!" it said, ecstatic. Ella E patted it absently. Now there were only 3 pokéballs left. One held Nyashock, the other two had the precious Growlithe, and Beef. Colt spun it again, and she watched the pokéballs spin around in bright red and white circles. She watched it, feeling so nervous her eyes were beginning to tear. She rubbed them with her left hand, and noticed that Static was attached to her arm still. She was thankful it wasn't involved in this Roulette.  
  
Colt reached out, and grabbed a Pokéball. He pressed the button, and with a flash of energy, the Pokémon hopped free.  
  
  
Chapter 21  
  
"High stakes"  
  
  
Ella E gasped.  
  
"NyaaaaaaaaSHOCK!" Nyashock cried, leaping out of the Pokéball. It looked at Colt, and instantly sensed the evil in him. Following it's natural reaction, it closed it's eyes. Slowly, the fur on it's body rose straight on end, until they it was totally inflated. Sparks collected, and Nyashock sent a powerful electric shock at Colt.  
  
"AAAGH!" Colt said, falling over backwards. He seemed dazed, staring straight up and not saying anything.  
  
The Nyashock turned to Ella E.  
  
"Nya! Nyashock! Shock, Nyashock shock Nyashock!" it said desperatly.  
  
"Nyashock, I can't just grab the pokéballs and run! I can't! I have to honor my deal!"  
  
"Nyashock! Nya nya nya shock...nyashock nyashock nya nya..." Nyashock said angrily.  
  
"Colt would keep up his end of the bargain if it happened to him! I'm sure of it! And Of course I don't want to lose you!"  
  
"Nyashock! Nyashock!" Nyashock said, beginning to run off.  
  
"Don't you understand, Nyashock? I can't leave! I just can't do that..." she said. She stared at the remaining two Pokéballs. If she messed up, then she could lose everything that she held dear. But if she didn't...  
  
Wait a minute!  
  
"EEEK!" Ella E screamed, as Nyashock leapt on her head, clawing at her face, shrieking insanely.  
  
"NYAAAASHOCK! NYA SHOCK SHOCK NYASHOCK!" the Nyashock screeched. Ella E grabbed the Nyashock and threw it angrily to the ground, feeling her face and touching blood. The Nyashock wheezed and glared at her.  
  
Ella E was stunned. She had been tricked! Even if she did pick the Growlithe, she would lose, because Colt would get her Spearow! And thus all the Pokémon she owned! Including the Growlithe! But if she picked the Spearow, Colt would get his Growlithe! Colt had lied to her! She was tricked!  
  
Anger surged in her, and she looked at the Nyashock.  
  
"Nyashock..." it said angrily.  
  
"Yes, I do understand now, Nyashock. Thank you." she said. She clenched her fists. She looked at Colt, the theiving member of Team Rocket, and the two Pokéballs. She looked around.   
  
A small shred of her conscience came into play. She shouldn't back out on Colt while he was helpless like this...She shouldn't...But he had tricked her!  
  
Colt came around slowly, holding his head and moaning.  
  
"Where am I...." he moaned. He realized where he was, then reached for the Pokéballs. Swiftly Ella E snatched them both. Angry, she threw the one in her right hand into a nearby bush.  
  
"YOU SNEAK!" she shouted at Colt. Colt glared at her.  
  
"Darn you and your stupid cat!" he shouted. With surprising speed, he dashed over to the Nyashock and kicked it hard, sending it flying into the same bush.  
  
"NYAAAAAA!" it squealed in pain.  
  
Ella E was appalled and furious.  
  
"NYASHOCK!" she shouted concerned. Then she looked at Colt, who was as angry as she was. She felt blood run down her face, and she clenched her hands angrily.  
  
"That Pokémon was a gift from someone more powerful then you could imagine! I care about it...and you KICKED IT!" she screamed. She dashed forward, and drew back her fist to punch Colt. Colt ducked, and delt Ella E a uppercut of her own. Ella E could feel her nose bleeding, but was too enraged to care. She grabbed Colt, and ran forward, slamming him into the Tree. He slid down, unconcious. Ella E wiped her nose, then Ran to the bush.  
  
"Nyashock? NYASHOCK?" she shouted. She saw a glimpse of Cream and Brown, and reached for it. She grabbed Nyashock by the tip of it's tail, the upright fur stabbing into her hand. She pulled up, and Nyashock came out of the briars. In it's paws it held the Pokéball. Ella E cradled her injured Pokémon, staring at it's scratched and bleeding face. She opened the Pokéball, and saw Beef fly out, grateful to be out of that deadly game. She stared at the other Pokéball....the one that held her Growlithe.   
  
She threw it as hard as she could at Colt. It bounced off his head, causing a bleeding bruise.   
"Keep your Growlithe! I'm sure it's as evil as YOU ARE!" she shouted at the unconcious body of Colt.  
  
She looked at her Pokémon. Gogo, Beeffff PokémonO, Charles, Eclipse, Static...  
  
She began to run away from the tree, away from Colt, with her Pokémon scrambling behind her. Nyashock wheezed in her arms, fatally injured, clinging onto it's life and her shirt sleeve with it's claws.  
  
"Oh Nyashock, I never should of agreed! You saved all these Pokémon from Colt...from Team Rocket! Oh Nyashock, please be okay...."  
  
The Ruby on Nyashock's head flashed briefly, then was dull. 


	5. Death

Chapter 22  
  
"The Ruby"  
  
  
Ella E ran with tears in her eyes, looking for anywhere she could gain refuge for her poor Nyashock. Slowly, she noticed it getting darker and darker, and the sky clouding over. She was too busy too care.   
  
The sky was full of now rumbling, dark, heavy clouds. They hovered over her, and slowly, it began to rain.   
  
Nyashock whimpered as the Raindrops struck it, and Ella E remembered how much it hated water. Pausing for a few precious moments, she opened her coat. She put the Nyashock inside, so it could stay safe and warm. She poked it's head out, so it could breath.  
  
"Geo! Geo!" Gogo cried, distressed, as raindrops hit it.  
  
"Geeenceeey..." Eclipse moaned, falling on her shoulder, almost fainted from exhaustion. Beef, who was riding on Ella E's shoulder the entire time, swicthed to another shoulder. Charles collapsed near Ella E, panting. Realizing her Pokémon needed rest, she recalled all of them. Now only Nyashock and Static were left. She began running again.  
  
She couldn't put Nyashock in a pokéball. Not in this state. She was worried that when she got to the center, the Pokéball would open to reveal Nyashock's dead corpse. Even though every Pokéball was guranteed to keep a Pokémon into a state of Suspended Animation, Ella E couldn't trust it. She kept the Nyashock close to her, and it wheezed painfully. She could her it's tiny heart beating along with hers, it's cold body freezing her own chest. The Raindrops were slamming into her now.   
  
Static remained stuck to her left arm, and didn't seem perturbed by the rain. It stayed stubbornly silent.  
  
Running running running...Ella E thought. That was all she could think. Her legs burned, and the scratches on her face were irritated by the rain. A boom of thunder caused her to fall, and a flash of lightning caused her eyesight to falter.  
  
She couldn't stop now. She had to save Nyashock! She wouldn't let it die on her.  
  
Slowly, the Pokécenter came into view, and Ella E opened the door so fast it slammed against the opposite wall.  
  
Nurse Joy dropped the tea she was drinking into her lap. Luckily it was only luke warm.  
  
She stared at the near-tears, soaking wet bleeding girl, with some type of Meowth in her coat. The Girl staggered hysterically up to Nurse Joy, putting the Meowth on the counter.  
  
"Nurse Joy, you have to help me! I was walking down the path and then Colt he fought me with this Growlithe OH it was so cute but it jumped me and he stole my pokémon and then we played roulette but it turns out he was cheating and Nyashock knew so it told me and Colt got mad and kicked it into a bush and he punched me but I threw him into a tree and Nyashock doesn't look so good oh please Nurse Joy tell me you can help me fix Nyashock I don't want it to die cause I really really like it and I care about it and it would be my fault and I know it's not my fault but it's Colt's fault but it would be my fault cause I couldn't get it to a Pokémon center in time and OH NYASHOCK! Please be okay!" the Girl babbled before breaking into Hysterical tears over the Meowth.  
  
Nurse Joy blinked a couple times, not understanding a word of what the Girl had just said. She picked up the Meowth, noticing the Damage and the strange differences between it and a normal Meowth, mainly the Pikachu ears.  
  
"What...IS this?" Joy said confused. She held it out at arms-length, and it drooped almost lifelessly.  
  
"No time no time no time! Just heal heal heal it! PLEASE! It doesn't have much time left!" the girl said through her tears. Joy nodded. At least she was right there. The Pokémon was badly, badly injured.  
  
"I'll get to it right away!" she said. She began walking when she heard a thump behind her. Turning around, she saw the girl had fainted on the floor from exhaustion.  
  
"JOY! Get this girl to the hospital!" she shouted. Her third cousin twice removed who happened to look exactly like her managed to get Ella E on a strecher. She and the Chansey walked off with Ella E between them, while Joy ran to the emergency room.  
  
~~~  
  
When Ella E woke up, she had no idea where she was. All she knew is that she had to find the Nyashock. Noticing that it was dark, she staggered out of bed towards the window. It was pitch black outside, and she hear and feel raindrops slamming against the window. There was no one else in her room. She walked over to the door, and opened it.  
  
The whole place was dark. Apparently it was very late, and everyone was asleep. Or maybe there was a power outage. It didn't matter. No lights were on, and there wasn't any noise.   
  
"Nyashock?" she rasped. Her throat was so dry. She could feel her Pokémon belt still on her, but noticed she wasn't wearing her normal clothes anymore. She went back into the room, and saw her hat hanging on the bed. She grabbed it, put it on, and walked back into the hall.  
  
The only sound she could hear was the steady beats of Rain on the roof. She walked through the halls of the hospital. She could feel the hairs on the back of her neck prickling. This was frightening.  
  
"Kabuto..." Static said quietly from her arm. She screamed.  
  
As soon as she regained control, she looked around and saw that no one was coming. Her scream had echoed through the halls, but no motion came back.  
  
Ella E shivered. She remembered those days when she and Atelli, her sister, and her cousins, Sedona, Radic, and Nick, would get together and watch scary movies. Ella E loved scary movies. But now....that same love was giving her this eerie paranoia that something was behind her. She turned around, but nothing was there. She shivered again.  
  
"Nyashock?" she said softly. Her throat was so dry...it was hard to talk. She continued walking down the hall, keeping one hand on the wall, so she knew where she was going. The only sound, rain on the roof, her own footsteps.  
  
"Ka..." Static said again from her arm. Ella E gasped, then clutched her heart gratefully.  
  
"Don't do that, Static! You're scaring me!" she said angrily. Static just clutched her arm closer, and wouldn't let go. She saw the main desk, where she had checked in. She ran to it gratefully.  
  
"Oh, thank goodness! At least I know where I am now!" she said happily. She looked through the clear glass doors that led out into the town, and saw the rain splattering against it, coming through the pitch blackness. Ella E shivered again. She looked at the front desk, and saw that Nurse Joy had her head down on it.  
  
"Probably asleep..." she said. She walked by Nurse Joy to the room behind her.  
  
She didn't notice the slow dripping sound from Nurse Joy. It melded with the rain. How could she tell?  
  
She walked into the pitch dark room, with so many Pokémon in cases. She could see their eyes glowing as they stared at her. In one section, she saw her Nyashock, asleep in a glass case, with a mask on. A small light was above it, so she could see it. She walked towards it, and the Nyashock looked at her.  
  
The Ruby on it's head flickered.  
  
Running...Running in rain. Dark raindrops, dark trees, dark shapes. Falling falling, through a blackness. Splash...where? Dark canyon, shapes above. Bushes, dark bushes. Dark dark bushes, good for hiding. Shapes...with glowing eyes.  
  
Ella E shook her head.   
  
"What was that?" she thought. She then dug deep in her memory, and heard the terrible voice of the Manachu in it.  
  
"And it claims that it can foresee the future with that charm...."  
  
The Nyashock's ruby! It had told the future! But what did that mean?...  
  
Ella E could feel someone breathing on her neck.  
  
  
Chapter 23  
  
"Wrong Place...Definitly Wrong Time!"  
  
  
Ella E screamed and ducked out of instinct. In every scary movie she had seen, the killer who would be behind the person would wait for the person to turn around, so they could stab them in the stomach. Ella E had watched too many movies for that.   
  
She was right in this case. Whoever was behind her lunged forward, and tripped over her back. She quickly kicked the person in the face, then ran over to Nyashock's case.  
  
She knew from all her Horror Movie watching, that usually, when the idiotic victim has knocked down the killer, they don't finish the job. They run, Killer gets back up, and stabs them. She had always wondered why they didn't kick the killer until they went unconcious.   
  
She didn't have time.   
  
She could hear shattering glass, and could hear the squeal of a Pokémon from around her. She tried to ignore it. She was certain of it now...she had walked into a murder spree!  
  
She hit the case desperatly, trying to break it. It was locked.   
  
"Nurse Joy must have the key..." Ella E thought. She ran to the person, who was getting up, and shoved him angrily. They screamed and flew backwards. Ella E, who was now angry, ran over and stomped hard where she thought the killers head was. The person was now silent, and she was sure they wouldn't bother her anymore. Not for a while, at least. She ran to the front, and looked for Nurse Joy.  
  
She still had her head on the desk. Ella E grabbed Nurse Joy's shoulders, and lifted her up.  
  
"Nurse Joy! Nurse Joy! Give me the keys!" she said. She gave a moan when she saw Nurse Joy didn't respond. She saw the blood spreading from a wound in her chest from under her pinafore, and Ella E screamed and recoiled. She dropped Nurse Joy, and she fell on the ground. Ella E knew this was no time to be squeamish...she looked around the desk, finding the keys. A boom of thunder shook the building, and a brief lightning flash lit the area. Ella E used that to her avantage, looking behind her to see if the person was up.  
  
The body was gone.  
  
Ella E shuddered, because she knew what was going to happen next. The Killer had gained conciousness while she found the keys, and was now hiding in the pitch dark room full of Pokémon, waiting for her.  
  
Slowly, a voice of reason came into her head. Maybe it wasn't a killer, maybe it was someone who was working here...  
  
That thought was quickly stopped. Why was Nurse Joy dead? And Why was there nobody responding to her screams? And why had they attacked her? There was Nyashock's vision, too.  
Ella E knew she would have to go back in the room, or she could never get Nyashock back. But the killer was in there...waiting.  
  
Ella E got the shivers. She knew this part from the movies. If she was watching it, she would of screamed at the main girl to forget about the Nyashock, and get it when the police came. But who was to say they ever would? Maybe they were dead too. She had to get Nyashock. The Manachu had told her to take it with her. She couldn't abandon it. She had to go back in.  
  
But she couldn't!  
  
She had to.  
  
She decided she would run through quickly. She had watched in the movies that the person would stupidly walk slowly through the dark room, as if waiting for the killer to pick them off. If she went quickly, she was pretty sure the Killer wouldn't be expecting that...  
  
Was he even in there? How could she tell?  
  
She heard a shatter of glass, and the cry of a Pokémon. She couldn't tell what it was. The cry was quick and angry. There was a slicing, gurgling noise.  
  
Contemptously thrown in her direction was a now dead Jolteon. It slid and bumped against her feet, it's throat slashed.  
  
Oh yeah, he was in there alright.  
  
Couldn't she wait out here? That tiny voice in her head said. She knew that if she stayed in the hall, the Killer would come for her eventually. She had to do it.  
  
She had to do it now!  
  
Stifling a terrified sob, Ella E clutched the key she hoped was the right one for the case, and ran into the dark, pitch-black room, lit only by the light of Nyashock's case. She ran for it desperatly, crashing against another one of the glass cases and knocking it over with a shatter. Glass pieces flew, and a Eevee squealed. She felt a tinge of pity for the poor creature, but she couldn't focus on it now. She ran for the case, and she fumbled with the keys. The one she had chosen was the wrong one. She grabbed another one, and watched with her limited light as a shadow moved quickly towards her. She screamed, sticking a key in the lock and turning. It fit. She flicked up the lid.  
  
There was a flicker from the knife the shadow was holding.  
  
Instinctivly, she held out her Left arm to protect her face and vital parts from damage.  
There was a CHING noise, and the knife bounced off harmlessly.  
  
"KABUTO!" Static said angrily from her arm. She breathed a silent thank-you to the Kabuto for the natural protection it gave her arm. She grabbed Nyashock by the scruff of the neck, ripping it from it's mask. She then ran, avoiding another knife blow barely. She ran, and felt something attach to her jeans.   
  
It was furry.  
  
Unless the Psychotic killer was a Pokémon, she doubted it would be dangerous. She ran out of the room, and grabbed the creature from her pantsleg, holding it with the Nyashock. She couldn't look what it was, not when the killer was so close.  
  
She heard an angry cry, and rapid footsteps behind her. She ran for the clear doors, but found them locked. She turned and saw the person leap at her, and she ducked to one side. The Killer crashed through the window, and a chill, icy wind swept over her. Rain spattered against her front, soaking her in seconds.  
  
This wasn't a normal storm, it was a typhoon or something! She ran out into it, seeing the figure laying on the ground. She kicked it as hard as she could, in pure fury, at making her go through that. She kept kicking until she was sure that the person couldn't get up for a while. Then she ran.  
  
Rain pelted her front, and the two Pokémon she held whimpered. Well...the one on her left did. She could see a forest to one side.  
  
She knew from her horror movie experience that running into the forest wasn't the smartest thing to do, but it was her only choice. She had to do it. And besides, she was fairly sure the killer didn't know the forest as much as she did. Which was none. She had to try.  
  
Everything was so dark! The rain slammed into her body as she ran against it, but she didn't have much of a choice. She ran through the dark trees, having no idea where she was going. She barely avoided some trees. They blended in with the shadows until she was right next to them.  
Her foot caught on a root, and she fell forward.  
  
She heard whatever Pokémon was in her left arm squeal, and saw a flash of metal behind her. The Killer was behind her. The Knife barely skimmed her feet.  
  
She fell forward a lot more then what it would usually take to all down. That meant...  
  
A cliff!  
  
She wanted to scream, but she decided not to. That could give the killer an idea as to where she was. She just fell forward, clutching the Two Pokémon to her.  
  
She splashed down into a river of some kind. She bit her lip to stop from screaming. There, she saw some bushes. She had to hide somewhere. She crawled out of the river, into the bushes, until she was immersed in them. She couldn't see, and she could barely, think. Luckily the two Pokémon she had grabbed were still with her. She leaned against the branches, hoping that the killer wouldn't find her, and she vaguely remembered...  
Nyashock's prophecy had come true....  
  
  
Chapter 24  
  
"Waking Up in Bushes"  
  
  
Ella E was exhausted mentally and physically from what happened. She couldn't believe what had just happened.  
  
What if the killer found her hiding place.  
  
Ella E was far too tired to care. Right now, nothing mattered. But sleep.  
  
She woke up to a lighter surronding. It was now grey instead of black, and rain was still falling. She woke up with a jolt, realizing where she was.  
  
"Woah...that was...a weird night..." she said rather lamely to herself. She looked at herself, noticing numerous scratches that covered her body from the bush. She couldn't believe she had crawled into it. She couldn't see any feasible way out. Well, fear can do that to you...  
  
The full effect of the night hit her. Nurse Joy was dead. Dead! And she had touched her! And She had barely escaped with her life, thanks to Static. But what about everyone else in the Pokécenter? And that poor Jolteon...died for no good reason other then the Killer trying to scare her! She somehow felt this was all her fault. At least Nyashock was safe.  
  
She looked at her right arm, and saw that Nyashock was breathing peacefully, saving it's energy. It's prophecy had helped her escape. She was glad she had kept it. Then she remembered.  
  
That other Pokémon she had picked up...what was it?  
  
She turned her gaze to her left arm.  
  
"Eeeveee?" it said, yawning and looking at her. Static remained quiet.  
  
She stared at it in amazement, the memories of that night hazy now. She remembered hitting a glass case, and it breaking. The squeal of a Eevee...That must of been the one that was with her now! In desperation and fear, it had attached itself to her in hopes of safety.  
  
"An Eevee....I can't believe I have one!" Ella E said, staring at it. It walked and licked her face, crediting her for saving it.  
  
"Did you see what happened to the Jolteon?" she asked it. The Eevee lowered it's ears and nodded. She sighed sadly.  
  
"You came with me so I could protect you." she said.  
  
"Eee!" the Eevee said, smiling, snuggling up to her.  
  
Abruptly, Ella E couldn't hold in her feelings anymore. She began weeping. The Jolteon, Nurse Joy, and she had no idea how many other peeps were dead! And somehow, it was all her fault.  
  
"Eee?" the Eevee said, looking confused at Ella E's tears. Had it done something wrong? It reached up and licked one of them. It then made a face.  
  
"No no, Eevee, it's not your fault...it's just...me..." Ella E sniffed, and rubbed her eyes. Nyashock was still asleep.  
  
Grey and rain filtered through the bush's cracks, and she looked at herself. She was utterly soaked. She looked again at the Eevee, and noticed it was soaked too. It's mane was plastered to it's chest, and it's tail was limp. Yet, when she looked at Nyashock, it's tail fur still stood up straight, even though it was soaking wet.   
  
"I can't stay in here forever..." she said to herself. She heard footsteps walking, and she held her breath. Was the killer down here...  
  
"Hello? Is someone down here?" she heard a voice call. She kept quiet. She saw a hand pass over the bush rustling it's leaves.  
  
"Hello? I saw someone fall down here..." the voice said again. The hand came through the bush and right up to Ella's face.  
  
"Charmander?" she heard a high-pitched voice say. She knew only one person with a Charmander!  
  
"Caleb?" she called out.   
  
"Ella E?" the voice said back. She grabbed his hand, and with a wrench, he pulled her out of the bush.  
  
"Caleb, thank goodness! You have no idea what I just went through!" Ella E said, brushing herself off. Rain spattered against her as she switched arms so she held both the Eevee and the Nyashock in one arm.  
  
"You're lucky you're here! Haven't you heard?" Caleb said.  
  
"Heard what?"  
  
"About the Vermillion Pokécenter!"  
  
"I was just there."  
  
"YOU WERE?" Caleb said, amazed. "When?"  
  
"Last night."  
  
Caleb blinked at her.  
  
"You're...You're alive! You have no idea what happened!"  
  
"All I know is that someone with a knife tried to kill me last night. And they almost succeeded too, if it weren't for Static..." Ella E said, holding up her arm. The Kabuto seemed no worse for wear after it's ordeal.  
  
Caleb blinked and looked at it. "Wow! A Kabuto! How'd you get it?"  
  
"I can tell you later. Tell me what happened." Ella E said.  
  
Caleb sighed.  
  
"I'm afraid it isn't very pretty though...."  
  
"Hey, I was there."  
  
"That's right! I almost forgot..." Caleb said.  
  
"Stop stalling and tell me. Who was there last night...and why?"  
  
Caleb sighed, looking down at his Charmander, who was covering it's tail with a tiny umbrella.  
  
"Team Rocket..." he said softly.  
  
  
Chapter 25  
  
"Team Rocket Sinks to a New Low"  
  
  
"Team Rocket?" Ella E said, curious.  
  
Caleb nodded. He seemed very sad and subdued. She stared at him curiously.  
  
"But Team Rocket has always been so stupid...none of their plans go right! They always mess up somehow."  
  
Caleb nodded again.  
  
"Usually someone's Pikachu comes to the rescue...but this time it wasn't those bumbling idiots!"  
  
"Jessie and James?"  
  
Caleb stared at her. Ella E blushed.  
  
"Heh heh...got the names from my guide!" she said nervously. Now that that was brought to her attention, she must of left that back in the Pokécenter.  
  
"That thing really needs to be updated..." Caleb said. Ella E rubbed her head, feeling rain fall on her hand.  
  
"Anyway, this time Team Rocket has really pulled it together! They hired a assassin...or maybe two. I don't know. Anyway, late last night, they planted the two assassins in the Pokécenter. When everyone was asleep, they cut the power...then..."  
  
Caleb sighed, raising his face to the sky and letting rain fall on it. Ella E listened attentively.  
  
"They...they...started at one end of the building. When everyone was asleep, they would sneak into the room and...and..."  
  
Caleb couldn't go on. He looked at Ella E, then back at the sky.  
  
"Well...you were there, weren't you? You know what they did...Why didn't you get killed too?" Caleb asked.  
  
Ella E was shocked, but not badly. "I couldn't sleep."  
  
"You were lucky. Very, very lucky."  
  
"I know."  
  
"Anyway, Team Rocket...they usually steal Pokémon...but this...this was...evil, even for THEM. They killed...everyone....even the Pokémon...the ones they didn't steal."  
  
"The poor Jolteon..." Ella E said softly.  
  
"The Jolteon? Yes...that was one of them. It was broadcast this morning...they found it's body near Nurse Joys..." Caleb said.  
  
"Char?" his Charmander said, pulling on his pantsleg. He recalled it distractedly.  
  
"I saw her...I thought she was asleep..." Ella E said.  
  
"You saw her? On that topic, how did you get out alive?" Caleb said curiously. He stared at the scratches on her face. Ella E noticed him staring at her, and touched the scratches curiously, remembering where they came from.  
  
"It was like a scary movie...you have no idea. I woke up, I couldn't sleep. It was all dark, so I grabbed the hat Radic gave me, and I walked out in the hall...I swear someone was behind me...maybe it was the assassin...anyway, I saw the doors, and I saw Joy...I thought she was asleep. I was looking for Nyashock..." Ella E said.  
  
"Nyashock? You mean Nyase."  
  
"No, Nyashock. Look at it while I keep talking." Ella E said, handing him the injured Pokémon. He took it carefully, and kept listening.  
  
"It was pitch dark in the back room, you know? Only light was from Nyashock's case. Anyway, I was walking around in there, and heard someone behind me. So I ducked, and kicked the guy, and he fell over. I ran, and got the keys from Joy. That's when I knew she was...was dead. I ran back, and tried to unlock the case. The Killer...he tried to stab me, but Static protected my arm!" Ella E said, lifting her arm to show the stubborn Kabuto. Caleb looked at it.  
  
"I unlocked the case, grabbed Nyashock, and ran out. Then I jumped into this river to hide, and ran into some bushes."  
  
"Where did you get this Pokémon..." Caleb said, looking at the Nyashock in wonder. Ella E quickly explained.  
  
"Do you want to battle my Charmander? It's much stronger now..." Caleb said reluctantly, handing back the Nyashock. Ella E took it gently.  
  
"No...No, why should we fight, anyway? I mean, we're supposed to be rivals, but who's here to see we're friends?" Ella E asked. Caleb blinked, then nodded.  
  
"We need to find someplace where we can be safe, and Nyashock can regain it's energy."  
  
"That's just it..." Caleb said nervously. She looked at him.  
  
"What?"  
  
"The Police....they didn't catch the Assassins...." he said. Ella E blinked.  
  
"You mean they're still free?"  
  
"Yeah...that's why I came looking for you...I heard you had reached Vermillion City, and I thought you could of been hurt...and I heard rumors of a girl running through the forest at night..."  
  
"We can't be safe anywhere. The Assassin's will strike again...we have to find somewhere where they can't touch us...."  
  
Suddenly the Nyashock's eyes opened and blinked, the Ruby on it's head flashing.  
  
Huge towers of Black fur, 6 of them. A dark, sick red body. Sick purple chest. Black stripes over red, two whirring things...a red ball and two yellow blurs. Black eyes, black cheeks...blacker then darkness itself...staring right into her soul...  
  
"I know!" Ella E said, realizing what the vision meant.  
  
"What?" Caleb said confused.  
  
"Nyashock just told me where we can go!"  
  
"But it didn't say anything..."  
  
"I don't know how but it did! Listen, there's no time to argue, we have to find a creature that can protect us...if it doesn't stomp us first."  
  
"Stomp us?" Caleb said, gulping. Ella E grabbed his hand, staring at him through the pouring rain.  
  
"We're going to find the Manachu."  
  
  
Chapter 26  
  
"We are NOT Alone"  
  
  
"So why would...this...Manachu...protect US?" Caleb said. Ella E had explained as fast as possible, and now the two were following the line of the ditch, hoping it would lead to a tunnel of some kind which in turn would lead to the network of tunnels to the Manachu.  
  
"It let me go, and it gave me Nyashock. And I think Eclipse could talk to it too."  
  
Ella E had told Caleb of the two new Pokémon, and he seemed to take it reasonably well. Rain still poured down.  
  
"I wish this rain would stop..." Caleb said.  
  
"That's the seventh time you've said that! It won't stop because you want it too!" Ella E said irritably.  
  
"Jeez, don't have a heart attack or something. You take things to seriously. Has anyone ever told you that?"  
  
"No." Ella E said, still angry. She wasn't happy to be in the rain either.  
  
"Given any thought as to what you're going to evolve your Eevee into?"  
  
"Evolve it?" Ella E said, confused.  
  
"That's right, you left your guide at Vermillion. Do you want to borrow mine?"  
  
"Don't you need it?" Ella E said as Caleb handed her the guide. She shoved it under her coat.  
  
"No, I've got my Pokédex. It's great! Have you worked with yours?"  
  
"No."  
  
"What's it's name?"  
  
"I don't know. Does it have one?" Ella E said, genuinely surprised.  
  
"Of course it does!" Caleb said, sounding shocked. "All Pokédex's have names and personalities."  
  
"Well, I don't plan on using mine. Let's see..." Ella E took the guide from out of her pocket, and flipped through it.  
  
"Ah! Eevee! Here it is! "It's genetic code is irregular. May evolve if exposed to certain elemental stones.""  
  
"Is that what it really says?" Caleb said doubtfully. Ella E looked annoyed.  
  
"Something along those lines. Anyway, this says Eievui will evolve into Booster, Showers, or Thunders."  
  
"What?" Caleb said confused. Ella E blushed and turned a page.  
  
"Oops! Wrong language! Heh heh! Here we go! It'll evolve into a Vaporeon, Flareon, or Jolteon if exposed to Water, Fire, or Thunder stones."  
  
Caleb picked up the soaking wet Eevee, holding it up to his face.  
  
"And what do YOU want to be, little Eevee?" Caleb said in a condescending voice. The Eevee batted at his nose, and Caleb dropped it.   
  
"Eeee!" the Eevee said, crawling up Ella E's pantsleg. It climbed onto her arm, jumped off of Static, and sat on her hat.  
  
"What is it, Eevee?"  
  
"Eee! Eeeeeee!" it said.  
  
"Well, maybe you'll want to evolve later!" Ella E said in response. She could suddenly understand why Radic had called HIS Eevee Eeeee.  
  
"What happens if you give it a Leaf stone or a Moon stone?" Caleb said curiously.  
  
"According to this, nothing. I don't quite believe that....when we get to...what's that city called..."  
  
"Something with a C..." Caleb said, scratching his head.  
  
"The one with the big mall!"  
  
"Hmmm..."  
  
"Cerulean? No, that's the water place...."  
  
"Celadon!" Caleb said happily.  
  
"That's it! Celadon! When we get there, if I can afford it I'll try the Leaf and Moon Stones."  
  
"Eeeee! Eeeeee!" the Eevee said angrily, looking into Ella's face angrily.  
  
"Alright, it's your decision. I'm just thinking of it." Ella E said. The Eevee looked happy, and resumed sitting on her hat.  
  
"That Kabuto..." Caleb muttered.  
  
"Hmm?" Ella E said.  
  
"I'm just wondering...has it ever been in one of your Pokéballs before?" Caleb said curiously.  
  
"Um...No. It didn't want to go..." Ella E said. She stroked the smooth back of the Kabuto, and it hissed angrily.  
  
"So it doesn't really belong to you, does it?"  
  
"I guess not. Why does that matter?"  
  
"Well, what happens when it evolves?"  
  
Ella E was struck by this thought, and was silent for a few moments.  
  
"Well, I don't know."  
  
"What if it attacks you? Slashes you to ribbons?"  
  
"What if it likes me?" Ella E countered. "Maybe it thinks I'm it's mom or something."  
  
"Togepi's think that. Not Kabuto's."  
  
"Well, maybe Static is special!"  
  
"Pff." Caleb scoffed. "Have you ever given any thought of how your going to battle with it?"  
  
"Um..." Ella E said, scratching the back of her head with her right hand. Eevee protested.  
  
"It won't come off your arm, will it?"  
  
"Wanna try and find out?" Ella E said, holding out her left arm. Caleb grabbed the Kabuto, and pulled with all his strength.  
  
"Kabu!" Static said angrily. It wouldn't budge. He sighed.  
  
"I think it'll have to battle from your arm!"  
  
"That's a weird thought!" Ella E giggled as she thought about it. She would look like Megaman or something! She could just see it...dramatically sticking her arm forward, shouting, "STATIC! BUBBLE!" and watching a stream of bubbles fly from her arm!  
  
"Ahem..." Caleb said, pointing at the guide. She looked, and saw that Kabuto never learned Bubble. She sighed. Oh well...the thought was funny. They walked in silence for a while, hearing the rain pound around her.  
  
"What do you think I should call my Eevee, Caleb?" she said. No answer.  
  
"Caleb?" she said, looking around. Caleb was no where to be found.  
  
"Caleb?" she called again. She traced her steps backwards, and saw that Caleb's broke off, going up the side of the ditch into the forest.  
  
"You crazy weirdo, Caleb..." she muttered to herself. She climbed up the muddy bank, brushing herself off at the top.  
  
"Caleb?" she called loudly. A loud whipcrack startled, causing her to jump. It was followed by a scream of pain. It sounded like Caleb.  
  
"Caleb? Caleb, where are you?" she said nervously. What if the killer had been trailing them, and had killed Caleb? She couldn't stay!  
  
She could see lights through the trees. A city! If she could reach it. She ran towards it, hoping that Caleb would see her. She could feel Eevee clutching to her hat.  
  
She ran straight into someone. 


	6. Battle

Chapter 27  
  
"Where did YOU come from?"  
  
  
Ella E screamed rather loudly.  
  
"Woah! Woah! Calm down! It's only me. Don't have a heart attack." she heard a male voice say.  
  
"Caleb?" she asked. The Eevee on her hat was shrieking and running back and forth. Probably scared from it's last sudden run-in with someone.  
  
"Caleb? Whose Caleb?" the voice asked. Ella E finally opened her eyes and looked.   
  
It was a boy around her age, with dark hair and piercing eyes.  
  
"Um....someone I was looking for. Have you seen him?"  
  
"You're looking for someone in this forest in the rain all by yourself? Don't you know how dangerous it is?" the boy said.  
  
Ella E was beginning to distinctly dislike this boy.  
  
"I can handle myself perfectly well. I have Pokémon to protect me."  
  
"You're too young to be walking alone! You should be training at home or something."  
  
Ella E fought to control her temper.  
  
"You're not much older then I am! Why should YOU tell ME what to do?" Ella E said angrily. The Boy smiled patronizingly.  
  
"I'm older and more mature."  
  
"How old ARE you Anyway?"  
  
"I'm 15, for your information."  
  
"Well, I'm 10."  
  
"You should be at home! Far too dangerous for a young one like you..."  
  
Ella E had had it. She rushed forward, and pushed the arrogant boy into a tree. He gasped, surprised, and stared at Ella E.  
  
"I've had enough of you! If you knew what I've been through, you wouldn't be so..."  
  
"Superior?" the boy supplied.  
  
"I've seen the depths of evil. I've stared into it's eyes. I know it's name. I escaped the killing in Vermillion." Ella E said slowly. The Boy gulped.  
  
"You...you're the one who escaped?"  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"It's been on the news! They say there is definite proof that someone had left the Pokécenter ALIVE! Other then the killers of course..."  
  
"Who ARE you?" Ella E said.  
  
"Ahem. My name is Montgomery."  
  
"I'll call you Monty!" Ella E said brightly. Monty looked upset.  
  
"My name is not...Monty." Monty said with distaste.  
  
"Yes it is!"  
  
Monty sighed.  
  
"So you said you were looking for someone named Caleb..."  
  
"Yeah! Have you seen him?"  
  
"No. We should get to a city somewhere where you can get your rest. You need rest at that age."  
  
Ella E half-closed her eyes and stared at him. Then she shuddered. If everyone knew that someone had escaped...it was only a matter of time before someone learned that it was HER that escaped. Then...the Assassins would know who she was.   
  
And she had to find the Manachu. That was the only way.  
  
"I can't. I have to find the Manachu." she said.  
  
Monty stared at her condescendingly.  
  
"The what?" he said, barely concealing his laughter.  
  
"The Manachu! It lives beneath the ground..." Ella E started. Monty burst out laughing.  
  
"Oh my! Don't tell me you BELIEVE those rumors on the internet?"  
  
"What rumors?"  
  
"You know, about all those fake Pokémon...like Flareth and Charcolt and-"  
  
"Mariru." Ella E finished.  
  
"Pikablu." Monty said, very sure of himself.  
  
"Mariru! God, how many times must I explain this to people!" Ella E threw her hands in the air, severly annoyed. Monty stared at her.  
  
"My goodness, you sure get worked up about things like that."  
  
"My Cousins, Radic and Red, and my sister, Atelli, hate it when someone calls it...Pikablu..." Ella E forced the words out with evident distaste.  
  
"A Manachu! What else have you seen? Pikanose? Pikaghost? They're all just Rumors!" Monty laughed harder with every fake name he said.  
  
"It is NOT! I've seen it! I talked with it!"  
  
"Did you catch it?"  
  
This time Ella E burst out laughing.  
  
"Catch THAT? You MUST be joking! No one could catch that...that THING."  
  
"It's a Pokémon, isn't it?"  
  
Ella E hesitated. She had never thought of it as one. "Yeah, I guess."  
  
"So it should be able to be caught."  
  
"A Pokéball could never hold it."  
  
"Pokéballs can hold Snorlax's for goodness sakes! Surely they can catch the thing...if it exists, which it doesn't."  
  
"It does. I saw it. It stared at me with those black, black eyes..."  
  
"YOU-" Monty said, flicking Ella E's nose, "are FAR too gullible."  
  
Ella E grabbed her nose, glaring at him.  
  
"I have proof." she said, low and angry. Monty laughed.  
  
"Go ahead and show me your proof."  
  
Ella E reached in her jacket and took out the Nyashock, who she had put in one of the inner pockets. She held it up to Monty. The Nyashock was unconcious.  
  
Monty looked at it, and laughed hysterically.  
  
"The Manachu gave me this!"  
  
"A Meowth with a Pikachu-Ear Headband! A very popular item this year! I'm afraid, my poor little girl, you have been deceived." Monty said.  
  
Ella E was furious. She smiled as she thought of something.  
  
"Go ahead. If it's a headband, pull it off."  
  
"I will. I'll show you you're "proof"." Monty said, sounding very sure. He grabbed the ends of the ears and tugged. They didn't come off. He looked confused.  
  
"That's strange..." he said. He grabbed them more firmly and pulled harder. The Nyashock's eyes flew open, and a low growl escaped it's throat. Monty ignored it.  
  
"Someone must have glued them on." Monty grabbed the ears, and pulled HARD.  
  
"NYAAAAAAAA!" The Nyashock shrieked.  
  
"Nyashock, THUNDERBOLT!" Ella E shouted angrily. Monty laughed.  
  
"You act as if it really could-"  
  
Ella E watched the telltale signs of the Nyashock's electrical buildup. The fur began to rise on it's body, until every hair was standing straight. The Nyashock was now dangling from it's Pikachu ears, and was NOT happy at ALL with the situation.  
  
Ella E covered her eyes.  
  
"NyaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAASHOCK!" it screamed, and the Energy it was collecting lanced in a powerful bolt, striking Monty in the chest. He gave a surprised shout, dropping the Nyashock. It thudded to the ground, where it panted and shivered from the rain. Ella E grabbed it and shoved it in her coat, where it gratefully curled in the warmth of the inner pocket.  
  
Monty sat on the ground, singed. He stood up carefully.  
  
"I don't know how you orchestrated some Electric Pokémon to zap me at that moment, or how you taught that Meowth to say Nyashock, or how you glued those ears on it's head. It's still nothing more then a fake."  
  
Ella E sighed.  
  
"There has to be something to make you believe me."  
  
"Take me to see your...Manachu."  
  
  
Chapter 27  
  
"Don't you hate these kind of people?"  
  
  
"Wait a minute." Ella E said, holding up her hands. "You said it doesn't exist."  
  
"And you said it did. So what better way of proving it then showing it to me?"  
  
"If you know it doesn't exist, why do you want to see it?"  
  
"I don't understand what's so difficult to comprehend about this." Monty said in a superior tone. Ella E rolled her eyes, and began walking. Monty followed behind her.  
  
"Why is there a Eevee on your hat?" Monty asked abruptly. Ella E didn't look at him, but talked.  
  
"You heard about the Vermillion Break-in, didn't you?"  
  
"I believe you mean 'Vermillion Massacre'." Monty said.  
  
"Whatever. Well, anyway, I ran into one of those glass cases, and this Eevee was in it. It grabbed my leg, so I grabbed it and ran off with it."  
  
"What if it belonged to someone?" Monty said horrified. Ella E sighed.  
  
"They're probably dead now. Anyway, this Eevee likes me. Don't you Eevee?"  
  
"Eeeee!" it said happily.  
  
There was a short silence as they walked again.  
  
"Why is there a Kabuto on your arm?" Monty asked again. Ella E wondered vaguely why he was asking so many questions.  
  
"I was wading through a river, and it grabbed and held on. I can't get it off."  
  
"Why is it on your left arm?"  
  
"That's the arm it happened to grab."  
  
There was another short pause.  
  
"Are you left handed?"  
  
"What brought that up?" Ella E asked, curious.  
  
"I was just noticing. Are you?"  
  
"Yes. Why?"  
  
"I always thought people who were left-handed were kind of odd. Can you hold something for a second?"  
  
"No." Ella E said, trying to control her anger. She hated it when people dwelled on the fact she was left-handed.  
  
"Can I call you Lefty?"  
  
"NO."  
  
"Fine fine. Don't get angry. I'm just curious."  
  
"You're annoying, that's what YOU are..." Ella E muttered to herself.  
  
"What was that?" he asked. She sighed.  
  
"Nothing."  
  
They kept on walking for some time. Because she had left the ditch, she was completly disoriented, and Monty kept complaining that they were probably going around in circles. Finally, they saw lights.  
  
"A town! Thank goodness! I can't wait for a nice bed!" Monty said happily. Ella E gulped. A town was the LAST place she wanted to be...she would be too vulnerable in there.  
  
"Neon Town..." Monty said, reading the sign. "I remember this place!"  
  
"So do I. Ugh...I hate it when people get cranky..."  
  
"I heard that Jigglypuff sings here."  
  
"Remind me to kick it when I get in there."  
  
"What?" Monty said.  
  
"I hate Jigglypuffs. I just...do. Don't ask, okay?"  
  
"Okay, okay." Monty said, holding up his arms. The two of them walked into the busy and crowded streets, looking at all the dazzling arrays of bright lights. People shoved them angrily as they went by, and Eevee protested angrily and lept into Ella E's arms.  
  
Although Monty seemed to be enjoying himself, Ella E was getting more and more paranoid. In this kind of crowd, it was easy to get lost. And plus, she was an easy target for the Assassin...  
  
She turned to look at Monty, but he wasn't there.  
  
She was about ready to scream. Monty had dissapeared! Maybe he had been killed while she wasn't watching.  
  
"Hey Ella E!" she heard a voice call over the loud screaming of the crowd. She looked, and saw Monty waving at her. She sighed.  
  
"Look what I found!" He said, pointing at the building he was at. Angry, Ella E smacked him upside the head.  
  
"You idiot! You nearly gave me a heart-attack! I thought you were dead!"  
  
Monty rubbed his head sullenly.  
  
"Sheesh, don't be so upset. I just wandered away for a moment. Jeez. Anyway, look what I found!"  
  
Ella E looked up at the flourescent sign.  
  
"Pokémon Battling Tournament. Win Rare Pokémon if You can Beat our best trainers. Free food." she read aloud.  
  
Monty sighed. "Free food! What a deal!"  
  
This time Ella E sighed. She walked inside, followed by Monty. A light clicked on dramatically on her. She rolled her eyes, then shivered. This easily advertised her presence if the killer was in the stands. After all, how many 10 year old girls had a Kabuto stuck on their arm? She noticed Monty weaseling into the Spotlight with her.  
  
"Attention! Are you the new Challengers?" she heard a loud voice call. She looked up, but couldn't see anyone.  
  
"Is there an audience?" she asked. She couldn't see anything outside of the spotlight.  
  
"Are you the new Challengers?" the voice repeated. She sighed.  
  
"I guess."  
  
"Entrance fee is 300-"  
  
"300? I don't have that kind of money!" Monty said. She shoved him.  
  
"Maybe YOU don't, But I do!" she said. She searched through her pockets, and scrounged up enough money.  
  
"Where do I put it?" she asked the voice.  
  
"Put it in the box next to you."   
  
She looked around, and saw the box. She shrugged and put her money in.  
  
"The Challenge has been accepted!" the voice boomed. "Now get ready to lose!"  
  
Ella E rolled her eyes.  
  
"Not likely." she said to herself. A tall girl walked out, with four Pokéballs at her waist. She held one in her hand.  
  
"I am Kasha! Defeat me, if you can!"  
  
"What do I get?" Ella E asked. Kasha didn't seem happy with her apparent lack of fear.  
  
"You'll find out if you defeat me! Now, fight!"  
  
Ella E shrugged.  
  
"Kasha calls...Articuno!" she called. The Pokéball flew open, and the mystic bird flapped into the air. Ella E stared in disgust. She gently put Nyashock down, where it staggered a bit.  
  
"Nyashock, Thunderbolt!"  
  
"Articuno, Peck!"  
  
  
Chapter 28  
  
"Cheapness"  
  
  
The Articuno managed to go first, and pecked the Nyashock hard on the head. Nyashock's eyes glew angry red, but not as angry as when it had done ThunderQuake. It wasn't happy.  
  
"NyaaaaaaaaSHOCK!" it shrieked. The Hairs on it's body rose until they all stood, and the powerful electric energy flew from the Nyashock, slamming into the Articuno. It squawked and fainted. Kasha stared in horror.  
  
"WHAT? How could-"  
  
"Sorry. I guess you never really trained you Articuno." Ella E said happily. Kasha looked upset. She grabbed her next ball.  
  
"Okay....go...Jynx!"  
  
The Jynx popped out, and Ella E blanched in horror. She hated Jynx's! But luckily, she knew her Pokémon. She thought quickly.  
  
"Nyashock, return." she said. The Nyashock, instead of going in the Pokéball, hopped inside her jacket. She chose another of her Pokéballs.  
  
"Go, GO GO!" she said. Kasha burst out laughing, but she ignored her. Ella E's Geodude hovered expectantly, and waited.  
  
"Gogo, Rock Throw!" she said.  
  
"Geo geo!"  
  
"Jynx, Lovely Kiss!"  
  
"Jynx Jynx." it said. Ella E shivered. She hated Jynx's...  
  
The Jynx reached for Gogo, puckering it's lips. Gogo looked in horror, and zipped away. The Jynx kept pursuing it, but Gogo wouldn't let it catch up.   
  
Gogo slammed it's arms into the ground, and raised a chunk of it in it's strong hands. It threw the rocks at the Jynx. The Jynx shrieked as the rocks hit it, and fell over in faint.  
  
"I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS!" Kasha said. "My Pokémon are MUCH higher level then yours!"  
  
"Did you use Rarecandies?" Ella E said. Kasha blushed.  
  
"Yeah...so?"  
  
Ella E moaned.  
  
"Just send out your next Pokémon."  
  
"Okay...go...Magmar!"  
  
The Firey thing burst from it's Pokéball in a flash of flame. Ella E thought.  
  
"Gogo, come back. Static..."  
  
She stared awkwardly at the Kabuto on her arm.   
  
"Uh..." she said, blushing.  
  
"You mean that thing can Actually ATTACK?" Kasha said. Ella E's face got red.  
  
"Of course it can!"  
  
Monty nudged her.  
  
"Has it ever fought before?"  
  
"Uh....no." Ella E said nervously. She stared at it.  
  
"Static....do..some type of water move! I don't know!" Ella E said desperatly. The Magmar looked at the Kabuto, and laughed.  
  
"Mag Mag Magmar!"  
  
Static's eyes flew open, and got angry red. Ella E, just like in her vision, stuck her arm out dramatically.   
  
"Kabu!" Static said. A Stream of Water and Bubbles suddenly fly from the Kabuto, causing the Magmar to sizzle and faint.  
  
"How did...But...Kabuto...how does that Kabuto know BUBBLEBEAM?!" Kasha shrieked, recalling her fallen Magmar. Ella E stared at her Kabuto in wonder.  
  
"I don't know."  
  
"According to this, Bubblebeam is only learned by TM." Monty said, sitting and reading a Pokéguide. "Static could learn it...but I don't know how it did it."  
  
"Maybe it knew it originally." Ella E said.  
  
"Ahem." Her Pokédex said from her pocket. She ignored it.  
  
"I can tell you what attacks it has." her Pokédex said. She sighed and withdrew it, pointing it at the stubborn Kabuto on her arm.  
  
"Kabuto." it said Mechanically. "It has BubbleBeam, Absorb, Harden, and Slash."  
  
"Slash?" Ella E said, puzzled. "If I remember right-"  
  
"It's learned at level 39." Monty said, looking it up. "One more Level and it Evolves."  
  
"How the HECK did you get experience, Static?" Ella E shouted at her Pokémon. Static closed it's eyes and ignored her. Now, Ella E realized, she was closer to facing her big problem. What would happen when Static evolved?  
  
"Now I call....Aerodactyl!" Kasha said. The Ball popped open, and the huge bird of prey burst out. It shrieked a challenge.  
  
"Aeroooooo!"  
  
Even thought she knew Static's Bubblebeam would do good, she wanted to avoid the evolution matter as much as possible. She thought hard. Charles? No...Charles' grass type would be weak to Aerodactyl's flying. Eclipse? No...Eclipse's wings were bound...it couldn't fly. Gogo? Gogo couldn't take off much damage....Static? Beeffff Pokémon O? No...it couldn't dent Aerodactly. Nyashock? Nyashock could handle it...  
  
"Nyashock, ThunderBolt!" she said. The Nyashock sleepily crawled out from under her jacket, walking slowly to the center of the ring. There is stretched and yawned cutely.  
  
"Ha! Aerodactyl's Rock Type will prevent any Electric Attacks from getting through! Ha ha ha!" Kasha laughed. Ella E shook her head in pity.  
  
"You don't know much about Pokémon, do you?"  
  
"Nyaaaaaaaa..." The Nyashock said, charging itself up.  
  
"Aerodactyl, Bite!" Kasha cried. The Aerodactyl flew down, biting deep into the Nyashock's back with it's serrated fangs.  
  
"Nyashock!" Ella E cried, distressed. The Aerodactyl flew high in the air, carrying the Nyashock with it. The Nyashock's eyes grew red. It was NOT happy.  
  
"SHOOOOOCK!" it shrieked, sending the massive Electrical energy into the Aerodactyl's body. It screamed.  
  
"AEROOOOOOOO!"   
  
It hit the ground with a thump, and it's eyes closed.  
  
"NO! IMPOSSIBLE! THAT SHOULDN'T HAVE HAPPENED!" Kasha cried, recalling the Aerodactyl.  
  
"You should brush up on your Pokémon." Ella E said. She ran forward, picking up the Nyashock from where the Aerodactyl had dropped it. She looked at the huge bleeding gash on it's back. Reaching in her backpack, she fished desperatly for a Max Potion.  
  
"Need a Max Potion?" Monty said, handing her one.  
  
"How did-"  
  
"I won it at one of those Crane Games! Neat, huh? You can have it. I can always get another one."  
  
Ella E sprayed it on the Nyashock, and it's wounds healed instantly. It looked at her and smiled.  
  
"Nya Nya! Nyashock!" it said happily. She smiled at it.  
  
"Eeeee?" the Eevee said. It jumped down and batted at the Nyashock. She seperated the two before they could fight, and looked ahead of her to see her next challenge.  
  
  
Chapter 29  
  
"All elements covered?"  
  
  
"I can't believe you beat Kasha." Monty said, surprised. Ella E didn't seem to disturbed.  
  
"She used cheap Pokémon. If they all have Cheap Pokémon, this won't be much of a challenge."  
  
Monty stared at her doubtfully. Kasha looked crest-fallen.  
  
"I've been defeated! Oh the shame! Oh the-" Kasha wailed.  
  
"What Rare Pokémon do I get?" Ella E said eagerly. Kasha sadly handed her a Pokéball, and she opened it.  
  
A tiny snoring Pokémon came out.   
  
"Abraaaaa..." it said breathily, so low she couldn't hear it. Ella E stared in shock. She grabbed the sleeping Abra and hugged it fiercly.  
  
"OH! IT'S SO CUTE!" she cried. Monty and Kasha stared at her in shock. This didn't seem like her. Ella E looked at the two of them, and coughed.  
  
"Ahem, thank you." she said. She put the ball on her belt, where it willingly attached. Kasha walked away.  
  
"I can't believe I got a Abra. I could have caught one. That's not rare." she grumbled.  
  
"Look at it this way." Monty said helpfully. "Your Pokémon got Experience, You got some money, and you got a Abra without expending any money or effort on catching one. I say you came out pretty much ahead."   
  
Ella E grumbled, but knew he was right.  
  
Her next challenge came up, and she stared. It was a large, hulking man.  
  
"I am Ralph! I have the ultimate combination in a team! I can cover all elements! You can never beat me!"  
  
"We'll see." Ella E said. She watched carefully.  
  
"Go, Charizard!" he called. The huge, dragon like Pokémon burst out with a flutter of wings and burst of flame.  
  
Ella E rolled her eyes. She didn't want Static to fight the Charizard, so she had a different plan.  
  
"Nyashock, Thunderbolt!" she called.   
  
"Nyaaaaaaaa...." it hissed, it's fur rising on end, sparks covering it. Ralph laughed.  
  
"Ha! Your electric attack won't faze Charizard in the least!"  
  
"You don't know anything, do you?"  
  
"Charizard, Flame Thrower!" Ralph called, but it was too late. The Electric energy was gathering around the Nyashock, covering it in a layer of electricity. In a furious surge the energy was sent towards the hovering Charizard.  
  
"Chaaaar!" it cried, it's wings failing to work. It fell, unconcious.  
  
"WHAT?!" Ralph said, horrified. She sighed.  
  
"Charizard is Fire/Flying. Nyashock's electric bursts hit it hard in the flying half. Send out your next Pokémon."  
  
"Okay...Go Venusaur!" he called.  
  
"Veeeenusaur..." the huge Pokémon wheezed. Ella E thought. Grass/Poison...what could hurt this? She snapped her fingers.  
  
"I know!" she said outloud.   
  
"Know what?" Monty said. She glared at him.  
  
"Shut up. GO, Beeffffff PokémonO!" she shouted, throwing the ball hard. The Spearow flew out gladly, the scar on it's eye now a dark red. It glared at the Venusaur.  
  
"A Spearow? Against my Venusaur? You must be joking!" Ralph laughed. Ella E knew what she was doing.  
  
"Beef, Drill Peck!" she said.   
  
"Spear!" her Spearow called.  
  
"Wait a minute-" Monty said in the Background. She ignored him. Beef flew high in the air.  
  
"Vine Whip, Venusaur!" Ralph called.   
  
"Veeeenusaurrrr..." it wheezed. Dozens of vines grew from beneath it's flower, flying in the air. Beef tried to dodge, ducking the flying vines for all it was worth. One of the vines grabbed it, and when it had it, it slammed Beef viciously to the ground.  
  
"SPEEEAR!" Beef cried in pain.  
  
"Come on Beef, I know you can do it..." Ella E said, worried. The Spearow jumped into the air again, flapping it's wings and gaining altitiude. It glared down at the Venusaur angrily.  
  
"Speeeeeearrooooooooooww!" it called, diving down suddenly at the Venusaur. It tucked it's wings in, and began spinning.  
  
"Venu?" the Venusaur said, confused. Beef slammed down, drilling into the top of the Venusaur's Flower. it screamed in pain. Beef refused to stop, drilling until it could no longer be seen. The Venusaur slumped over, and there was a silence.  
  
"Venusaur?" Ralph said, concerned.  
  
"Beef? BEEF!" Ella E shouted. There was stirring from the back of the Venusaur, and slowly, the Spearow poked it's head out.  
  
"Spear?" it said.  
  
"Oh Beef, you're okay!" Ella E said in relief. The Spearow, covered with sap, limped over to her, and she returned it.  
  
"According to this," Monty said, flipping open his Pokéguide, "if your Spearow knows Drill Peck, it should be a Fearow by now."  
  
"A Fearow? That's weird...I wonder why it didn't evolve."  
  
Monty shrugged.  
  
"Don't worry! My last Pokémon will stop you!" Ralph cried. He threw out the Pokéball, and a Blastoise came out.  
  
"Beat that if you can!" he said.  
  
"Okay, this is a good chance for Charles. GO!" Ella E said.  
  
"Bulbasaur!" Charles said, happy to be free.  
  
"A Bulbasaur? A BULBASAUR?" Ralph said in disbelief.  
  
"Shut up! Charles, Vine Whip!" she called.  
  
"Bulba!" Charles said. Two vines extended from it's bulb. The Blastoise looked at the Bulbasaur in fury.  
  
"Blastoise, Bubble!"  
  
The Blastoise Inhaled. The Two vines of Charles' flew forward with devastating speed, cracking across the Blastoise' voice. It grunted angrily, and a red slash went across it's face, bleeding. The other whip cracked over the gash, and now it looked as if it had a red, bleeding X on it's face. The Blastoise blew out it's air in a flurry of bubbles and water. It hit Charles, and it rolled over a few times.  
  
"Charles! Oh Charles, hang on!" Ella E said. Charles grunted and stood up, sucking up some of the water, letting it help it's bulb grow. The Blastoise was in worse shape then it was at the moment.  
  
"Blastoise, Withdraw!" Ralph said.  
  
"Charles, Vine Whip again!"  
  
Charles managed to go first, and the vines flew forward again. The Struck the Blastoise dozens of times over it's body, cracking down. The Blastoise extended it's cannons, sending water into the air over itself, causing it's skin to get thicker.  
  
"Charles, one last time!"  
  
"Blastoise, Water Gun!"  
  
Charles again got the initiative, and whips hit the Blastoise again. This was too much for the hefty turtle, and it fell to the ground.  
  
"Blastoise, NO!"  
  
Ella E laughed, and Ralph glared at her angrily.  
  
  
Chapter 30  
  
"Review...How Long Has It Been Since Ella E Checked Her Pokémon?"  
  
  
"Here's your stupid Pokémon! I know you cheated somehow!" Ralph said. He recalled his fallen Blastoise and threw the Pokéball at her, but she caught it in her left hand. He ran off angrily.  
  
"Wow! Fascinating!" Monty said. She ignored him. "Could you do that again?"  
  
She pressed the button on the front. It popped open. A beautiful, crystalline creature popped out.  
  
"Porygon." it said, in a mechanical voice.  
  
"Ooo, pretty!" she said. She recalled it, and it popped onto her belt without protest.  
  
"Do you have ANY idea how expensive those things are?" Monty said in amazement.  
  
"Well, I have one. And it's pretty. I like it." Ella E said.  
  
She heard a beep from her pocket.  
  
"Updates in your Pokémon:" it began. She tried to ignore it. Monty, taking the oppurtunity, snatched it out of her pocket.  
  
"Your Pokédex is trying to tell you something." he said. Ella E gritted her teeth. Why now? she thought to herself.  
  
"Aren't you going to let it?"  
  
She grabbed the Pokédex from her hand and snapped it open.  
  
"Want me to list which Pokémon have ascended levels?" it said.  
  
"Why didn't you tell me after the first battle?" she said angrily.  
  
"You seemed busy."  
  
Ella E counted to ten to prevent herself from smashing the machine.  
  
"Fine."  
  
"Before first battle you had following Pokémon: Spearow, Gencey, Nyashock, Bulbasaur, Kabuto, Eevee, Geodude. They're levels were 23, 24, 39, 15, 39, 20, 23."  
  
"Woah. Nyashock and Static sure jumped. Wait a minute...I hadn't fought any battles since Colt!" she said.  
  
"Battles aren't the only way to gain experience."  
  
"That's true.." Ella E thought. "We sure had a LOT of experiences at Vermillion. Nyashock had a lot of experience...and Static...that's why they jumped so much."  
  
"They're moves were as follows. Spearow: Peck, Growl, Fury Attack, MirrorMove."  
  
"I don't remember giving Beef those Attacks."  
  
"I did. Are you unhappy?"  
  
"Tell me next time. I want to decide." She said, disgusted with herself at talking with the machine.  
  
"Gencey: Siren Song, Wing Song, Status Suck, Flufftackle."  
  
Ella E made a mental note to check what those attacks were, later.  
  
"Nyashock: ThunderBolt, Slash, Bite, Thundershock."  
  
She smiled. She wondered what Nyashock would learn next.  
  
"Bulbasaur: LeechSeed, Vine Whip, Tackle, Growl."  
  
She made a mental note to level up Charles until it got Sleep Powder.  
  
"Kabuto: BubbleBeam, Absorb, Harden, Slash."  
  
She would have to investigate how it learned BubbleBeam at some point.  
  
"Eevee: Tackle, Sand Attack."  
  
She looked at her Eevee, who smiled. She couldn't believe how lucky she was to get one.  
  
"Geodude: Tackle, Defense Curl, Rock Throw, Self-Destruct."  
  
"After first battle, you had following Pokémon: Eevee, Bulbasaur, Spearow, Gencey, Nyashock, Geodude, Kabuto, Abra. They had following attacks-"  
  
"Just tell me the Abra's please." she said, annoyed. "And could you stop calling them by their species? They have names."  
  
"Abra and Eevee have no names."  
  
"Just shut up and tell me the Abra's."  
  
"Abra: Teleport."  
  
Monty snickered behind her back. How could she have forgotten that? She sighed.  
  
"Who went up levels?"  
  
"Spear-...I mean, Beeffff Pokémon O ascended 7 levels, and I replaced Growl with Drill Peck."  
  
"You should ask me about this kind of stuff first. And how did Beef go up a level, It wasn't fight-"  
  
"Nyashock ascended to level 41. Gogo went to level 26, and I replaced Defense Curl with Harden."  
  
"What level is the Abra?"  
  
"Abra is level 5."  
  
Ella E sighed. It would take a while for it to level.  
  
"After second battle, you had following Pokémon-"  
  
"Yeah, I know. Who went up levels?"  
  
"The following Pokémon went up levels. Nyashock, Beef, Charles. They have moves waiting for your approval."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Nyashock is trying to learn TwinNeedle. What will you replace? Thunderbolt, Slash, Bite, Thundershock."  
  
"Uh....Bite I guess."  
  
"Nyashock's moves are now Thunderbolt, Slash, TwinNeedle, Thundershock."  
  
"Why did it learn TwinNeedle? It's not a bug." Monty said. The Nyashock smiled, and the hairs on it's tail, which were always standing on end, suddenly launched themselves at Monty. He shrieked as a bunch of needles were stuck in his nose.  
  
"Now I understand." Ella E laughed. Monty had tears in his eyes.  
  
"It's nod fuddy! Ged dese outta my dose!"  
  
Ella E grabbed the needles and pulled abruptly. Monty screamed as they were ripped out.  
  
"What about Beef?" she asked her Pokédex. She tried to ignore the complaining Monty in the background.  
  
"Beef went to level 32."  
  
"I don't think all this skipping levels is healthy." She thought to herself. "If Beef is 32, why hasn't it evolved?"  
  
"I was waiting for your approval."  
  
Ella E thought. She called out Beef.  
  
"Do you want to evolve now, Beef?" she asked it. Beef shook it's head No. She returned it. She respected Beef's opinion...she would evolve it later.  
  
"Charles went up to level 23, and has learned Poison Powder. What will you replace? LeechSeed, Vinewhip, Tackle, Growl."  
  
"Um...Growl."  
  
"Charles now has PoisonPowder, LeechSeed, VineWhip, Tackle. It also wants to evolve."  
  
"It does?" she said.  
  
"Yes."  
  
She released Charles, who looked at her piteausly.  
  
"Bulba Bulba bulba saur! Saur saur Bulbasaur!"  
  
"But you said it WANTED to evolve!" she cried at her Pokédex after hearing Charles.  
  
"Do you want to postpone it?"  
  
Monty nudged her, a bandage on his nose he got from somewhere.  
  
"It says they'll learn they're moves faster if they don't."  
  
"I'm going to postpone it." she said to her Pokédex. It beeped, and Charles looked relieved. She recalled it.  
  
"What moves does my Porygon have?" she asked her Pokédex between clenched teeth.  
  
"It has Tackle, Sharpen, and Conversion."  
  
"What level is it?"  
  
"15."  
  
She sighed. She called out her new Pokémon. Eevee, Abra, and Porygon sat obediently in a row.  
  
"You three need names."  
  
"Eeeee!" the Eevee said.  
  
"You were so lucky to escape the killing...I'm lucky I grabbed you. But you need a name..."  
  
"Eeee! Eeeeeee!" the Eevee said, batting at her leg. She picked it up, and it licked her nose.  
  
"I think I'll call you Boo." she said to it, smiling. "It was a scary night that night, wasn't it?"  
  
"Eeee!" her Eevee said happily. She put it down.  
  
"And you, you adorable Abra, you." she said, pointing at it.  
  
"Abraaaaaaa..." it said softly in it's sleep. She grabbed it and hugged it.  
  
"So adorable!" she cried.The Abra wheezed, but didn't wake up. Instead, it teleported back to it's original position. She watched in amazement.  
  
"Neat! I'll call you...Warp!" she said. She stared at the adorable Abra, who had fallen over backwards and was sleeping again.  
  
She pointed at the Porygon.  
  
"And you...."  
  
"Porygon. Porygon." it said, sounding a lot like her Pokédex. But coming from such a pretty creature...  
  
"I'll call you Facet! You'll make great additions to my team!" she said happily. Monty coughed. She turned to him.  
  
"Look." he said, pointing to one of the sections in his guide. "You can only have 6 Pokémon at a time. You can't have them all."  
  
"Nuts. Okay, I'll organize it now."  
  
She called out all her Pokémon. They sat and looked at her expectandly.  
  
"You have Following Pokémon:" her Pokédex said. She sighed. "Boo, Facet, Warp, Beef, GoGo, Charles, Eclipse, Nyashock, Static. Only six are allowed on a team at once."  
  
She looked over her 9 Pokémon. They stared at her. She looked at Eclipse.  
  
"I'm sorry Eclipse, but you can't do much with yours wings bandaged like that."  
  
"Gencey...gencey...." it said sadly. She recalled it and put it in her backpack.  
She stared at them again.  
  
"Warp, you're too weak..."   
  
"Abraaaa..." it said sleepily. It didn't protest as she put it in her backpack. She then thought. Both Beef and Charles looked beat. Should she move them for Facet and Boo? No...she should do this with her original team. She returned her new three, Boo, Facet, and Warp, and let Eclipse back out. It was very happy. The rest of her six stared at her.  
  
She rummaged through her backpack, looking for some potions. She found two normal ones, gifts from when she had left home. She sprayed them on Charles and Beef, who looked a bit better. She sighed. That was all she could do.  
  
She recalled the others, but then noticed Static, on her arm. Why did the Pokédex count the Kabuto as hers when it had never actually been in a Pokéball of hers? She couldn't think of that now. She looked forward, and prepared herself for her next challenge. 


	7. Join

Chapter 31  
  
"The Created One"  
  
  
Her next combatant seemed very self-assured, walking with an even stride. He was tall and sturdily-built, with only one Pokémon to call. The Spotlight, as it had with the others, followed him when he moved, still masking the rest of the crowd from view.  
  
"So, you've made it this far, little girl. Well, you're challenge stops here. You may have gotten the Abra, and you may have gotten the Porygon, but you'll never get what I'm guarding! You'll never defeat me. No one has."  
  
"A bit sure of ourselves, are we?" Ella E said angrily. The man shrugged her off.  
  
"My name is Drak, and I only train the best and the ultimate. My Pokémon is the best...the perfect Pokémon. It has no weaknesses."  
  
"Every Pokémon has a weakness." Ella E hissed angrily. Drak laughed.  
  
"You'll find out when I battle you, and you lose."  
  
"Are you only capable of bragging, or are you going to attack?" Ella E said angrily. Drak narrowed his eyes.  
  
"You'll regret your impudence when your Pokémon are fainted."  
  
"Let's find out." Ella E said slowly and deliberatly. Drak grabbed his one Pokéball, letting it expand in his hand. He threw it angrily, and it hit and bounced across the floor. It shattered to pieces the instant it opened, a product of the creature inside. Taller then a human, with glaring, blue eyes and angry, three fingered paws, the Pokémon walked forward, it's tail lashing as blue energy collected around it's malformed being.  
  
"Meeewtwo..." it said, sounding almost cute the first syllable, then dropping demonically to the next. Ella E gasped.  
  
"A Mewtwo? You're dead." Monty said from his perch next to her. She smacked him.  
  
"You're a big help. Give me that guide!" she said, snatching it from him. Monty rubbed the back of his head, muttering about immature angry girls, as Ella E flipped through the guide hurriedly.  
  
"Ghost and Bug are good against Psychic! Hmmmm..." she said. She listed her Pokémon off on her fingers.  
  
Beefff? Nearly fainted. Gogo? No...Charles? Goodness No! Static? She didn't want it to evolve...Eclipse?  
  
She vaguely remembered something her Pokédex had told her. The Ability to Phase...  
  
"Go, Eclipse!" she shouted, throwing it's Pokéball out. It burst with a flash of white and silver. Eclipse flew into the air.  
  
And Crashed to the ground.  
  
"Genceeeeey!" it wailed unhappily. It pawed uneffectively at the bandages that wrapped around it's wings, preventing it from flying.  
  
"Oh no, Eclipse, I forgot that you can't fly! Hang in there!"  
  
"A fuzzy toy? You send a fuzzy toy against my creature of perfection? You must be joking."  
  
"You didn't make Mewtwo, stupid. Eclipse, Phase NOW!" Ella E shouted. The Gencey nodded, it's halo bobbing up and down.  
  
"Mewtwo, Barrier." Drak said. "I want to see how pathetic this Pokémon's attacks are before you crush it."  
  
"Mew...."  
  
As the Mewtwo focused it's blue energy to form a blue outer covering on itself, Eclipse stood on it's hindpaws as tall as it could, it's complete 2' height.  
  
"Gen..." it said. It's long, fuzzy tail swirled forward, the poof at the tip shaking out some type of powder that blinked in and out of sight.  
  
"CEY!" it shouted, and it dissapeared.  
  
Monty, Ella E, Drak, and Mewtwo gasped.  
  
"Mew? Mew mewtwo?" the Mewtwo said, pawing at the place where the Gencey had dissapeared.  
Ella E smiled to herself. She was right! Her Pokédex began from her pocket.  
  
"Gencey's have the remarkable ability to gain the capabilites of a ghost while phasing. They become hazy and indistinct, as if they were pure ghost, but don't get any powers thereof. Only the change of type."  
  
"Shut up!" Ella E said angrily to her machine.  
  
"Why do you hate that thing so much?" Monty asked.  
  
"Shut up! I can't talk about it right now! Eclipse...do..."  
  
"Eclipse has Flufftackle, Mother's Lullaby, Siren Song, Wing Song." her Pokédex supplied.  
  
"What did I just tell you?" she said to it angrily. "Eclipse, Mother's Lullaby!"  
  
"Genceeeey..." the voice seemed ethereal, coming from all directions at once. The Mewtwo seemed confused.  
  
"Bah!" Drak said, sounding angry. "Finish this, Mewtwo! Psychic!"  
  
The Mewtwo, in fury, began gathering the energy in itself. It Abruptly stopped and began pawing at it's face.  
  
"Mew mew mew!" it said angrily. "Mewtwo two mew!"  
  
"Mewtwo? What are you doing?"  
  
"GeeEEEeeeenceey, gengengen, gengenceeeeeey...GeeeeEEEeeenceeeey, GenGenceeeeeyyyy..." the ethereal, other-worldly voice spiraled around the Mewtwo, almost as if the Gencey were circling it. The song was like that of the Jigglypuff, only much more sinister...a undertouch of the Manachu's influence. The Mewtwo grabbed at the air around it, trying to grab the ghost of Eclipse, but it couldn't be grabbed. Absolutely Furious, it began focusing it's energy again. This time, something grabbed it's tail. Nothing was there, but something was pulling on it.  
  
"MEEEEWWWTWOOOOO!" the Mewtwo shrieked, utterly outraged. The tail lashed frmo the grip of whatever was holding it, and flew through the air, as if trying to attack it's tormentor. The Singing continued on, weaving a spell on the Mewtwo that was trying so hard to see it's opponent. The Mewtwo was ANGRY! Energy began to crackle around it, and it's eyes narrowed into slits. It began panting in fury. This time, something grabbed it's arm, and rammed it into it's nose. The Mewtwo, startled again, nearly fell over, but staggered up.   
  
Monty was trying to stifle some snickers, and Ella E was finding the whole thing very amusing. Drak was as furious as his Mewtwo.  
  
"Mewtwo! COME ON! It's just a STUPID GHOST! You can DO this!"  
  
The Mewtwo was so angry it turned red in the face. It's thin, spindly arms lashing in all directions, trying to find it's invisible tormentor. All through it all, the haunting singing continued, coming from all directions, swirling around the Mewtwo, trying to bind it. It's eyes began to droop, but they snapped open with fury. It again tried to concentrate.   
  
Something grabbed the seeming tube-like thing connecting it's head to it's body, and pulled.  
  
It shrieked in utter fury! The angry Mewtwo was about to blow something apart.  
  
"Uh oh...That Mewtwo is getting-"  
  
"It won't blow up the Gym. It only does that in movies." Ella E said. But she herself looked worried.  
  
The Singing know circled it's head, in and around it's ears, and haunting his mind. The Mewtwo batted at it's head, but it wouldn't stop. It began to feel calmness...something that it had never experienced. It was a rather nice feeling. Slowly, it's eyes dropped until they were half-closed, and for the first time a small smile was on it's face. It felt safe...it was safe within it's mothers arms...she was singing to it....  
  
Eclipse continued singing, free from distraction, weaving it's spell determindly. It was lucky it had stopped the Mewtwo from attacking. Now it swayed gently back and forth, as it began to close it's spell.  
  
"Meeew...." the Mewtwo said weakly. It flopped over, sleeping peacefully.   
  
"MEWTWO! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" it's trainer cried angrily, but the Mewtwo was too far gone.  
  
"Gencey..." a soft, ethereal voice was heard. There was a small flash of gold as the Gencey stroked the Mewtwo's head peacefully, ending it's song. The Mewtwo curled into a ball and slept. Slowly, Eclipse drew one point of it's health from the Mewtwo to itself. The Mewtwo slept on.  
Meanwhile, Ella E was thinking hard. Who had a Bug Attack?...  
  
Suddenly she was reminded of Monty. What was it about him?...  
  
Suddenly it came to her! The Nyashock! It had Twin Needle!  
  
"Eclipse, Return-" Ella E started, but couldn't see her Pokémon anywhere. The Singing was gone, so there was no sign of it. Drak was so furious he couldn't even speak.  
  
"Eclipse, I'm sending out Nyashock. Don't attack anymore. It's not your turn." Ella E said. That would basically take care of the fact she couldn't recall it. She threw her Pokéball, and in a blur of electricity and fur, the Nyashock popped out.  
  
"Nyashock!" it said cheerfully.  
  
"Nyashock, Twin Needle!" Ella E said, pointing at the helplessly sleeping Mewtwo.  
  
"Nya Nya!" the Nyashock said, nodding.   
  
"Gencey!" a Ethereal voice cried, echoing around them.  
  
"Huh? Eclipse?"  
  
"Gen Gen Gencey, Gen Gencey!"  
  
"Eclipse, that is NOT your child! It's a Mewtwo! It's our enemy! And we're going to attack it! Stop being weird!" Ella E said, trying to figure out where the voice was coming from.  
  
"GEN! Gencey gen gen gencey, Cey Gencey gen gen!" the Gencey cried angrily, it's voice coming from all Directions.  
  
"Eclipse, remind me to tell you the purpose of battling after we've won! Nyashock, do it!"  
  
The Nyashock's tailfur, which was always extended, grew to needle sharpness.  
  
"Nyaaaaa..." it said, preparing itself for the attack.  
  
Then Something pulled on it's ears, invisably.  
  
"ECLIPSE!" Ella E shouted angrily.  
  
"NYAA!" Nyashock cried in pain, it's attack interrupted. It batted at the air around it. "Shock shock! Nyashock!"  
  
"Gen Gen! Gencey gencey!" Eclipse cried angrily.  
  
"Eclipse, that is NOT your baby! Your not even the same SPECIES! What ARE you talking about? Nyashock, TWIN NEEDLE!"  
  
"GENCEY!" Eclipse cried, absolutely furious. This time, as the Nyashock prepared, the Ethereal, invisible paws grabbed the ruby charm on it's head and pulled.  
  
"SHOOOCK!" the Nyashock screeched.  
  
"ECLIPSE, STOP IT THIS INSTANT!" Ella E Screamed angrily. The Nyashock, utterly infuriated, extended it's claws and began slashing at the air around it. It Whipped it's tail forward, and the Poison needles flew for the helpless form on the ground.  
  
There was a whooshing of air, and the Needles, at the last moment, flew to one side, as if repelled by some invisible force. The Mewtwo slept on.  
  
"GEN GEN!" the Gencey cried.  
  
"Do it again, Nyashock! Eclipse, when I'm through with you-" Ella E said angrily. The Nyashock's tail fur again grew to Needle Sharpness.  
  
This time something grabbed it's tail, and drove it into it's back.  
  
The Screech of the Nyashock was unearthly, and it's eyes glew an angry and furious Red.  
  
"NYAAAAAAAAAAA!" It screamed, it's voice rising several pitches.  
  
"DUCK AND COVER! IT'S THUNDERQUAKE!" Ella E shouted, throwing herself on the ground and covering her head.  
  
"What?" both Drak and Monty said.  
  
Slowly, the Mewtwo's eyes opened, and it looked at the furious Nyashock, it's fur completely on end. Something flickered in front of it's face.  
  
"Gen gen! Gencey Gen Gencey!" the soft voice said. The Mewtwo remembered that voice...it was the voice that was singing.  
  
Abruptly, the Gencey shifted into view, it's wings helplessly bound. It looked up at the Mewtwo in a motherly adoration. The Mewtwo grabbed it, and held it tightly and protectivly in it's arms.  
  
"Mewwww!" it said angrily. The Nyashock didn't care anymore. It was NOT going to take this abuse!  
  
"NYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOCK!" it screeched, and the Thunderquake started.  
  
  
Chapter 32  
  
"A Mother's Love"  
  
  
The Nyashock's fur became a conductor, and the energy began flying, encircling it's fur and flying in angry sparks. The Lightning lanced outwards, furious like it's master. The Very ground itself was split by the pure fury of the Nyashock. Lightning lanced everyone, skimming the ring and flying up the walls, causing the windows to shatter, and the spotlights to break, throwing glass fragments everywhere.  
  
The Mewtwo raised a paw, and the familiar blue shield flew up, it protecting it and the Gencey it carried so gently in it's arms from harm.  
  
"Meeeew..." it hissed, straining as rocks smashed themselves against the shield.  
  
"NYAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" the Nyashock screamed in pure outrage and fury, it's very voice shattering the mind with it's torment and it's tone for vengfulness. The Lightning lanced forward, striking Drak in the Chest, felling him. Since Ella E was on the ground, she was lucky. Monty wasn't. The Lightning danced in and out of his body, wracking it with pain. He screamed once and collapsed unconcious. The Screams of the crowd, panicking and running from the building were obvious, as well as the smell of burned flesh and the cries of agony as the Electricity struck down whatever it hit.  
  
"KABU!" the Kabuto on her arm said angrily, as Electricity bounced off it's shell.  
  
"MEEEEEW!!" The Mewtwo cried in alarm as the ground beneath it split, causing a massive crevice, throwing rocks in the air, levitated by the pure power of the Nyashock. The Mewtwo closed it's eyes and focused, and it levitated above the Crevice. It clutched it's precious cargo in both arms tenderly, focusing it's energy on the shield.  
  
Electricity flew everywhere, as if it was attacking everything. It hit the shield, and it bounced off, flying into a ceiling fan, breaking it upon contact. More energy crackled arond the field of the Mewtwo, until it became a sick green. The Mewtwo's head beaded with sweat, and it strained to keep it's barrier up. Finally, the Barrier fell, and both the Mewtwo and the Gencey were hit with the Energy.  
  
For a split-second, for that moment the Nyashock had collapsed, panting, it's attack over. The Mewtwo and the Gencey, both uttering no sound, fell wordlessly into the pile of wreckage that was the remains of the Nyashock's attack.  
  
"Eclipse? ECLIPSE?" Ella E shouted. "Oh Eclipse, where are you?" Ella E coughed as the dust settled. It was now pitchblack because of the lack of the spotlights. She dug in her backpack, but found nothing to aleviate the situation. Unless...  
  
"Nyashock? Where are you?"  
  
There was a flash of electricity to her right. She crawled out of the wreckage, piles of stones that had been cast around her. She walked carefully over the rubble, until she found the panting Nyashock.  
  
"Nyashock? Oh Nyashock, are you okay?" she said, concerned. The Nyashock flashed again.  
  
"Nyaaaa..." it wheezed. She picked it up.  
  
"Nyashock, I need you to do something."  
  
"Nyaaa..." it said painfully.  
  
"Yes, I know you're tired. But we need to do this. Can you glow...just a little energy maybe, so I can have some light?"  
  
"Nyaaa..." the Nyashock said quietly, and energy flowed around it, lighting a good five yard radius.  
  
"Very nice, Nyashock."  
  
It didn't respond. It's eyes were closed, in concentration or sleep no one could tell. Ella E looked around desperatly.  
  
"Eclipse? Eclipse, I'm sorry! Please be okay! Where are you?" she called out. She didn't hear anything. She kept walking, hearing stones fall and clatter.  
  
She was abruptly struck by her paranoia. What if the killer was in here? She tried to dismiss the thought. How could the Killer get in here? This place was a ruined mess, and everyone who was watching had ran out screaming.  
  
Or had they?  
  
She shuddered, but kept walking.  
  
Finally, she saw a glimmer of silver.  
  
"Eclipse!" She shouted happily. She saw the end of it's tail poking from a pile of stones and rubble.  
  
"Oh my god, Eclipse...You can't die! Please don't die!" she said desperatly. She began digging furiously with her hands, trying to excavate the Gencey that had wanted so badly to go with her. She couldn't let it die now. She didn't let it drown, and she wouldn't let it suffocate or get crushed!  
  
Slowly, she could see white. White fur? This was more like skin. She kept digging.  
  
Finally, she came across the prone body of the Mewtwo, who was laying on top of the Gencey, as if protecting it. It's last action. Tears flowed from her eyes...the Mewtwo had given it's life for Eclipse. She gently moved it, and saw it's eyes, now closed. Then she saw her Gencey.  
It was bleeding from several places, but was awake.  
  
"G...geeeen..."it moaned. She picked it up.  
  
"Don't worry Eclipse, I'll take you out of here. You won't die in this dark place." she said, trying to comfort it. It squirmed from her grasp and fell to the ground, the bandages on it's wings now ripped, but still holding. It saw the Mewtwo, and it's eyes opened wide in shock.  
  
"Gen?" it said, it's voice pierced with sorrow. It gently took the Mewtwo's face in it's paws, brushing some dirt from it with it's fluffy paw.  
  
"I'm sorry Eclipse...but...it's gone. I should have listened." Ella E said awkwardly.  
  
The Gencey sniffed, and then threw itself on the Mewtwo's face, wailing piteausly.  
  
"Geeeenceeeeey! Genceeeeeeyy!" it wailed, tears flowing from it's eyes, where they splashed on the Mewtwo, running down it's face.  
  
Slowly, it's eyes opened.  
  
"It's alive!" Ella E shrieked, scrambling backwards.   
  
"Meeewwww...." it moaned. Eclipse instantly hugged it joyfully, then spoke to it quickly.  
  
"Gen gen, gen gencey! Gencey gencey! Gen gen gencey!" it said, sounding happy. The Mewtwo smiled.  
  
"Me...mew....." it said weakly. It slowly pushed itself up, then winced and groaned as it put pressure on it's other arm.  
  
"Your arm is broken..." Ella E told the Mewtwo, helping it up. "Don't try and use it." She pushed the Mewtwo until it could stand, and it stared into the darkness past her, past the Nyashock sitting on her shoulder. The Gencey climbed up the Mewtwo, perching on it's shoulder like it used to do the Ella E. The Mewtwo's eyes glew blue, and suddenly it sent a furious blast of energy at Ella E. Ella E screamed, but the energy passed her and slammed into whoever was behind her. She stared, and screamed as she saw the faimiliar knife in the person's hand. The Killer WAS in here! She could have DIED if it weren't for the Mewtwo!  
  
"Mewtwo, can you find the others? We need to get out of here!"  
  
"Twwwwo..." it said weakly. Slowly, it's eyes glew. The Gencey gently placed a paw on it's head, making sure it didn't hurt itself. This seemed to give it extra power. Slowly, a form surronded in blue floated from the Rubble, and hovered in front of her.  
  
"Drak..."  
  
Another form came.  
  
"Monty!"  
  
"Can you take us out of here, Mewtwo?"  
  
"Geeencey..." Eclipse said softly. The Mewtwo nodded weakly. Slowly, Ella E could feel the power surrond here, and lift her. The Blue energy formed around Eclipse and the Mewtwo, and the slowly rose. A hole appeared in the Ceiling, and they floated out, back into the world.  
  
  
Chapter 33  
  
"View from Blue Eyes"  
  
  
The Mewtwo sat down, it's energy spent. It stared at it's mother gratefully. It was it's power that had allowed it to continue on...to not give up and let them all die down there.  
  
"Thank you...for helping me down there..." the Mewtwo said to the Gencey. It was fully aware that to the humans, it sounded as if it were repeating it's species name. But to it and other Pokémon, it was totally intelligible.  
  
"It was all a mother could do...right? To protect their child." The Gencey said, stroking it's paw thankfully.  
  
The Humans were watching them.  
  
"You two seem to be having quite the conversation." the girl said. She seemed ragged. Her friends were sitting up, looking like they were in a lot of pain.  
  
"Nice going, "Eclipse"." The Nyashock said angrily, walking over. It looked spent and ragged, and angry. "You just ruined everything with your ridiculous delusions that that creature is your son."   
  
The Mewtwo knew they were talking about it. They always referred to it as a creature. It decided to sit and watch the argument, not wishing to expend more energy.  
  
"It is my son. I'm sorry if you don't understand."  
  
"No I don't understand! You just met practically a few minutes ago!"  
  
"A few minutes is all it takes to die, Nyashock. Why does it take longer for love?"  
  
"Don't use your Psychobabble on me, Eclipse. It all started when you sang Mother's Lullaby...is that what it is? Whenever you do that attack you begin thinking your the mother of the Pokémon?"  
  
"You don't understand anything, Nyashock. How could YOU understand what it's like to be a mother?"  
  
"How could YOU understand!" the Nyashock said angrily. Slowly, the hairs on it's tail rose straight, becoming sharp again. The Gencey ignored the threat.  
  
"You can tell the future...so tell it now. What do you see?"  
  
"Fine. I'll tell your future. But I can gurantee that it won't be pleasant. Mewtwo is...is a freak! It's a disgrace to Pokémon, created by scientists in a lab. There's no way anything could ever work between you two...your wastin your time."  
  
"So it doesn't have a biological mother...all the reason for one now!" Eclipse said angrily, as the Nyashock sat down, ducked it's paws under itself, and closed it's eyes, concentrating hard. Eclipse sighed angrily.  
  
"I hate it when Nyashock does this. Can't...or rather..won't listen to a word I'm saying!" Eclipse sighed angrily.  
  
"Mother?" the Mewtwo said, breaking in gently.   
  
"Yes?" Eclipse crawled up it's side, sitting on it's shoulder. It stared into the sky.  
  
"Does everyone know I'm not real?"  
  
"You mean created? Of course everyone does."  
  
"Where did I come from?"  
  
Eclipse sighed.  
  
"They took your genes from a Pokémon called Mew...no one has seen it since...it's probably extinct now..."  
  
"Mew?" the Mewtwo said wonderously.  
  
"Don't worry about it." Eclipse said, stroking it's forehead with a gold paw. The Mewtwo smiled.  
  
"Can you fly?" it asked abruptly.  
  
"What?"  
  
"You've got those things on your back..."  
  
"Oh...a long story." The Gencey hopped down, and showed the wings, which were still wrapped with bandages. "Remember that attack that destroyed the place? Thunderquake? It's happened before. One of the bolts hit me...and paralyzed my wing muscles for a while..."  
  
"That stupid Nyashock...it's got enormous power! Where did it learn that attack?"  
  
"It didn't. It only happens when it's very angry..."  
  
"What do your wings look like?"  
  
"I would take off the bandages, but I can't reach..." Eclipse said. The Mewtwo gently lifted it and removed the bandages, severing them with tiny bolts of psychic energy. Eclipse hopped down as the last shreds fell off, and the wings were flat on her back, folded and limp. She looked at them.  
  
"It's been a long time since I flew with these...I need to strech them out."  
  
"Eclipse, what are you doing? Those bandages aren't supposed to come off!" the human girl said. Eclipse ignored her. She closed her eyes, clenched her paws, and strained HARD. She tried to find the control for the muscles, which had been dormant for so long. She could gently feel the muscles loosening, and coming back. Slowly, her shiny gold wings were extending steadily. She kept at it.  
  
"Mother...don't strain yourself..." the Mewtwo said, concerned. Eclipse kept focusing hard. Her wings were extending...she could feel the feathers spreading, and wind beneath them. It felt good. Slowly, she could feel them until they were completly out, and were free.  
  
"That feels good!" Eclipse said happily. The Mewtwo stared in amazement.  
  
"Wow...those are very pretty! I've never seen wings like that!"  
  
"Thank you!"  
  
"Eclipse!" the human girl interrupted them. "Eclipse, your wings are bandaged for a reason!"  
  
"They're okay now! Don't worry-" she began, but then she felt the paws of the Mewtwo around her again.  
  
"Get away! You won't hurt my mother anymore!" it said angrily.  
  
"Relax, relax....it's my trainer..." Eclipse said softly. The Mewtwo looked down, then nodded.  
The Nyashock abruptly jumped at them, claws bared.  
  
Before the Mewtwo could react, it was right next to Eclipse.  
  
"You won't believe what I just saw...in the future..." it said, obviously shaken.  
  
  
Chapter 34  
  
"The Grand Prize"  
  
  
Ella E stared at the Mewtwo, holding her Gencey carefully, and glaring at the Nyashock. The Nyashock was saying something she couldn't understand. She looked at Drak, who was just waking up.  
  
"Ugh....where am I?" Drak moaned, looking around. Monty slowly got up, utterly confused.  
  
"What happened?"  
  
"I TOLD you to duck and cover, and what did you do? Ignore me!" Ella E said in a lecturing tone.  
  
"What attack was THAT?" Drak stood up woozily. Ella E wasn't happy right now, considering her Gencey had turned traitor on her and probably cost her the match. Plus, she bet SHE would have to be the one to take care of the damage to the gym.  
  
"It was Thunderquake. You two are idiots, you know that? Nyashock was OBVIOUSLY going to attack, but you-"  
  
"Thunderquake? What's that?"  
  
"Don't interrupt me!"  
  
"That was the attack you idiot." Drak said meanly to Monty.  
  
"That wasn't the question, kid." Monty said again, looking off to one side.  
  
"Call me kid again and I'll show you my OWN attack!" Drak said angrily.  
  
"Shut up! I was talking!"  
  
"You shut up, Miss I'm so much better then everyone else!" Drak said to her, then focused his attention on Monty. Ella E was silent for a moment, then was furious.   
  
Drak didn't even see it coming. Ella E's fist hit him hard in the stomach, and he wheezed and fell to the ground, gasping.  
  
"Don't EVER tell ME to shut up! Got that?" She shouted at Drak.  
  
"Nice punch." Monty said from behind her. She slapped him across the face.  
  
"And don't you try to make it seem like it wasn't your fault! I was TALKING! That means you SHUT UP AND LISTEN!" Ella E shouted again. She knew she was being irrational, but she didn't care. She was NOT in a good mood, and her head hurt.  
  
Drak and Monty looked at her in silence.  
  
"That's better." Ella E said. She crossed her arms. "Now, Drak, were you the last competitor?"  
  
"...." Drak hesitated, wondering whether he should talk after Ella E's threat. He decided to. "Yeah, I was the last one."  
  
"Then I win, don't I?"  
  
"Wait, the match wasn't over! It was your stupid Gencey that hypnotized my Mewtwo! It was a unfair battle!" Drak stood up, holding his stomach painfully.  
  
"How was I supposed to know that my Gencey would get a Mother Complex for you supposedly "perfect" creation? It was a totally random occurence!"  
  
"Doesn't the name "Mothers Lullaby" give the SLIGHT impression that it might do MORE then put it to sleep?"  
  
"I've never seen it done!"  
  
"Like that's an excuse!"  
  
"Fine, I'll beat you right now! Nyashock, TwinNeedle!"  
  
The Nyashock looked at her, surprised to hear it's name, then obediently began raising the hairs on it's tail. The Gencey, staring in shock, quickly shoved it off the Mewtwo, and looked at it angrily. The two of them yelled at eachother. The Nyashock turned towards the Mewtwo, and Eclipse rammed into it's side, tackling it. The Nyashock hissed angrily.  
  
"Stop Nyashock..." Ella E said, realizing there was no way that the Gencey would allow the Mewtwo to be atacked.  
  
"Ha! Your Gencey is becoming my advantage! Mewtwo, Psychic!"  
  
The Mewtwo looked at it's trainer, then Eclipse. It shook it's head "No" Slowly. Drak stared at it in disbelief.  
  
"What? Do what I say! Attack it!"  
  
The Mewtwo stood quietly.  
  
"ATTACK IT!"  
  
The Mewtwo looked like it was in pain by disobeying it's master, but it sat down and refused to move.  
  
"MEWTWO!" Drak cried angrily. It's tail lashed, but it didn't move.  
  
"So neither of or Pokémon can attack eachother. Then it's a draw." Ella E said. Drak smiled.  
  
"So you didn't beat me! You don't get the prize!"  
  
"What? You didn't beat ME either! It's a DRAW!"  
  
"Still means I won!"  
  
"I don't think so..." Monty said from behind. Drak turned around. Monty was scavenging among the wreckage of the roof. He held up a fraction of the sign that had gained their attention when they had first entered Neon City.  
  
"Win Rare Pokémon if you can beat our best trainers! Free food!"  
  
"What does that have to do with anything, Monty?" Ella E said, annoyed. Monty pointed to fine print beneath the large words.  
  
"This contest only goes to win or lose situations. In the case of a draw, the person who attacked last wins. No refunds."  
  
"No refunds? What does that have to do with anything?" Monty said, staring at the sign.  
  
"The last attack was Thunderquake...So I win!" Ella E said happily. Drak grumbled angrily.  
  
"Stupid fine print...okay, fine. You get the prize package..."  
  
"That consists of...?" Ella E said eagerly. Drak sighed. He dug out a large bag from inside his jacket.  
  
"Ahem..." Drak said, clearing his throat. "You receive this bag of important TM's and HM's, plus-"  
  
"Which ones are in here?" Ella E snatched the bag from him and looked inside.  
  
"All the HM's and TM's you'll ever need. As I was SAYING..." Drak said, angry at being interrupted. He sat down and sighed deeply.  
  
"You also get...you get...my only two Pokémon."  
  
"Two? I thought you only had Mewtwo."  
  
"Correction: I only USED Mewtwo."  
  
"So that Mewtwo is mine?"  
  
"Unfortunatly, yes. And also this." Drak took another Pokéball from a pocket in his jacket, and reluctantly gave it to Ella E. She smiled eagerly, but gasped as it flashed from her hands before she could check it.  
  
"Hey!" she said. Monty waved a finger at her.  
  
"No more then 6 Pokémon at a time, Ella E."  
  
"Well, at least the Mewtwo isn't in a Pokéball, so it can't zap back."  
  
"Meeewww...twoooo..." The Mewtwo got up, walking over to it's now previous trainer, looking at him with concern. Drak was near tears. He looked at his Mewtwo, taller then he was, and thought about the times he had spent with it.   
  
"Goodbye...My friend!" he said suddenly, grasping the Mewtwo in a hug. It was shocked, but returned the affection.  
  
Suddenly, Ella E was feeling slightly guilty about taking the Mewtwo from the other trainer.  
  
"Nyaaaaa!" the Nyashock said, jumping on her shoulder. "Nyaaashock!"  
  
"Nyashock is right, we have to get going. C'mon Monty, Mewtwo. Let's go." Ella E said slowly. She looked at the edge of the roof of the gym, and began climbing down. Drak sat on the roof, thinking hard. He stared at his Mewtwo as it walked away from him.  
  
"Wait..." he said. Ella E looked at him.   
  
"I'm coming with you."  
  
"WHAT?" Ella E said in surprise.   
  
"I can't leave my Mewtwo alone, not with someone it doesn't know. I need my Mewtwo, and it needs me."  
  
"You mean, MY Mewtwo." Ella E said.  
  
"Jeez, just rub it in..." Monty muttered.  
  
"What was that?" Ella E looked at him. Monty shrugged innocently.  
  
"Nothing!"  
  
Ella E looked at the two of them suspicuously, but continued climbing.  
  
"If I keep collecting trainers like this, I'll be able to start my own Pokémon league." she thought to herself with a smile. 


	8. Conflict

Chapter 35  
  
"Two new friends, Two new problems"  
  
  
Ella E walked out of Neon City, glad to be out. That place made her angry...it had that effect on people. She stared at Drak, who was walking next to the Mewtwo, who had Eclipse sleeping peacefully on it's head.  
  
"Can't we put that thing in a Pokéball? It's giving me the creeps." Monty said. Drak glared at him.  
  
"Mewtwo breaks the Pokéball when it comes out. So unless you have one to spare..."  
  
"Never mind..." Monty grumbled.  
  
"It does?" Ella E said curiosly.  
  
"You bet. It hates it in there so much it destroys it when it comes out. That's how powerful it is."  
  
"I can't believe it's mine!" Ella E said cheerfully. Monty nudged her.  
  
"Drak's standing right there."  
  
"It's still mine, whether he likes it or not. I won." Ella E said boastfully. Drak sighed deeply and stared at his Mewtwo.  
  
"How come you only have Two Pokémon?" Ella E asked. Drak sighed.  
  
"This Mewtwo was my first Pokémon, believe it or not. I was wandering in the Unknown dungeon, and got lost. It was Mewtwo who found me and kept me safe. Then a trainer came...he attacked Mewtwo, and captured it. I tried to stop him, but he wouldn't listen. When it was over, he looked at me. He said "If this is what was taking care of you, then it is your turn to take care of it." and he gave me the Pokéball Mewtwo was in. We've been friends for so long..."  
  
"So he breaks the Pokéball when he comes out, huh?" Ella E said. "That could cut into my budget..."  
  
Drak sighed again. The Mewtwo looked at him sadly.  
  
"Why couldn't you have attacked, Mewtwo? Aren't I more important then the Gencey?"  
  
The Mewtwo, uncomfortable with this question, didn't answer. Drak sighed.  
  
"Where are we going?"  
  
"To find the Manachu. We have to find a place safe from that killer after me."  
  
"What?" Drak said, surprised. Ella E explained as quickly as she could, telling her story all the way to when she had gotten to the gym.  
  
"What concerns me is what happened to Caleb..." Drak said. Ella E suddenly realized what she was missing.  
  
"That's right! He dissapeared on me before I met Monty! I heard a whip..."  
  
"I think he knows where the Manachu is, so he's probably there, waiting for you."  
  
"I doubt he's waiting...that Manachu probably squashed him."  
  
"That is a possibility!"  
  
Suddenly, there were sounds of a fight. And a piercing howl, loud and clear, rang through the air, hitting Ella E's ears and nearly knocking her over with surprise.  
  
"GROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWLITHE!"  
  
"That's a Growlithe! GROWLISSA!" Ella E shouted hysterically, running after the noise.  
  
"What?" Drak said, confused.   
  
"Shut up and come on!" Ella E grabbed his hand and pulled him along roughly. In return, Drak grabbed Monty's hand, who grabbed the Mewtwo's. The Mewtwo was pulled along for a few seconds, then it's eyes glew with a blue light. the energy traveled from it's body, through Drak's, then to Ella E, throwing them all in the air. The Mewtwo, realizing it had hit Drak, extended a long, spindly arm, surronding Drak with a blue force field to prevent him from hitting the ground. Ella E and Monty weren't so lucky, and they careened into the forest. The Mewtwo lowered Drak slowly, as Eclipse woke up and yawned loudly.  
  
"OW!" there was a sharp cry of pain as Ella E struck someone. She cried out shortly, then longer as Monty smacked into her, knocking her and whoever else she had hit into a tree.   
  
"Grow grow?" she heard a familiar voice say near her. It sent tingles down her spine. She looked at the Growlithe staring at her, and nearly melted with fanatical devotion.  
  
"What the heck...where did you two come fro...YOU!" the person she had hit cried angrily. She pushed Monty off of her and jumped up.   
  
"Colt!" she said angrily. Colt glared at her.  
  
"You're that girl who tricked me! Growlithe, flamethrower!" he shouted angrily. Ella E turned around to see the Growlithe snarling at her, it's fangs bared. She stared at it, and watched as it's body glowed with heat, and it opened it's mouth, revealing the flames about to engulf her. She couldn't move...even now she found it beautiful.  
  
"STOP!" she heard Drak say, and she found her Growlithe surronded by blue energy.  
  
"Don't hurt it!" she cried uselessly. The Mewtwo raised it's paw, and the Growlithe soared into the air. The Mewtwo's were glowing the the familiar energy of it's mind, keeping the Growlithe's flames within it's body. Drak's eyes were glowing, as customary with the control of Psychic Pokémon. The Mewtwo looked at him, then nodded. It drew it's paw back, suspending the Growlithe over a bush, then swiftly slammed it into a tree.  
  
"NOOO!" Ella E cried. She ran to the Growlithe, grabbing and holding it.  
  
"What are you DOING!?" she cried hysterically at Drak. He looked confused.  
  
"I just saved your life!"  
  
"Oh, please say you're okay, Growlithe...please!" Ella E said, petting it's head. In return, it bit her hand. She didn't cry out, even as she saw her blood seeping into the Growlithe's mouth.  
  
"Leave my Growlithe alone!" Colt said, grabbing the Growlithe from her.  
  
"I heard it howling! What were you doing to it?"  
  
"I wasn't doing anything, and you should keep your nose in your own BUSINESS!" Colt said angrily.  
  
Ella E, not able to think of a better retort, thought of somethin rather lamely. "How many Pokémon have you stolen lately, Colt? Did anyone else give you as much trouble as I did?" she said angrily. Colt glared at her.  
  
"Go on your own goody-goody business, Growlithe-Slave. I have more important things to do then deal with YOU."  
  
Ella E, stunned by the charecterization, didn't notice as Colt swiftly swept behind her, and held a knife to her throat.  
  
"Okay, all you trainers, drop your Pokémon on the floor and roll them here, and I may let her live!" Colt said angrily. "You, with the Mewtwo! Put it in it's Pokéball!"  
  
"It doesn't have one at the moment-" Drak said awkwardly.  
  
"Think I'm toying around here? I'm a full-fledged member of Team Rocket!" Drak said. Ella E gasped weakly as he pressed the knife closer to her throat. "Put it in it's ball NOW!"  
  
The Gencey on the Mewtwo's head woke up, slowly, and looked curiously around. It looked at Ella E, it's trainer, utterly confused. Ella E desperatly pointed to Colt, mouthing Flufftackle. Eclipse held it's head to one side.  
  
"Gencey?"  
  
The Mewtwo looked up. Eclipse rubbed it's head, and slowly began flapping it's wings, raising itself in the air. It walked off the Mewtwo's head, and slowly began sinking. A light blue energy surronded it, and it began flying over to Colt.  
  
"Get that thing away from me!" Colt said, pressing harder with the knife. Ella E looked at the Gencey in fear. The Gencey kept flying closer and closer. Colt began panicking.  
  
"Stop it! Don't get any closer!"  
  
"Gengen!" the Gencey said cheerfully, smiling. Colt remembered what had happened last time...he threw Ella E into the tree, and then threw the knife at Eclipse.  
  
"GEN!" Eclipse cried in surprise, dodging as fast as it could. The Knife then hit it's paw, going straight through it and knocking it backwards, pinning it by it's paw to the tree.  
  
"CEEEY!" it screamed in pain. Ella E was unconcious.  
  
And she was lucky...because the Mewtwo looked at the Gencey, and then looked at Colt. It's eyes began to glow pure blue.  
  
  
Chapter 36  
  
"Retribution...In What Way?"  
  
  
The Mewtwo stared in shock as it's Mother was pinned to the tree by the human.  
  
It's mother! The Arrogant Human had hurt IT'S MOTHER!  
  
The Mewtwo felt cold fury surge through it's body, as it glanced over at the knife, and it came out from the tree. The Energy of it's mind surronded the Gencey, carrying it softly over to it.  
  
It had one way to keep it safe now...  
  
Slowly, The Mewtwo dug into it's memory. Silently and slowly. It remembered a long time ago...a flicker of a long tail, the flash of large blue eyes in a pink face...then the glare of a glowing ball...  
  
That was what it needed to do! It remembered that...creature using that ball of energy to protect itself. That's what it's mother needed.  
  
The Mewtwo was surprised at how quickly the ability to do it came to it...almost naturally. Eclipse was wrapped in the power, and nothing could hurt it. It's mother was safe...althought blood still flowed from it's injured paw.  
  
Now the anger came back. Anger as the Mewtwo had never felt before. A Furious, White-hot blue anger that flowed from deep within it's soul. It had been beaten, prodded, poked and studied when it was created, then left for dead, with only a human as it's companion. And now, this...this new, foreign, strange HUMAN had hurt it's one living connection...it's mother.   
  
The Mewtwo had decided. The Human had to die.   
  
He could feel Drak's silent commands in his head...asking him to be lenient. The Mewtwo blocked it's mind. There was no way anything was going to stop it.  
  
The Mewtwo let it's anger take form, feeling pure power flowing over it's entire body, and lighting it blue. It looked at Colt, who was absolutely terrified.  
  
"You die." the Mewtwo said, slowly and simply. It lifted one huge foot, not even of it's own creation, a constant reminder of it's origin, and slammed it down, taking one furious step. This body wasn't it's...it was made. It was created. This foot it controlled didn't belong to it. It was made from something else, tailored not for life, but for creating death. This body wasn't natural. This body was a affront to the entire Pokémon World, and to all Pokémon trainers...it was left for dead, after thousands of painful and hurtful experiments. It had barely managed to break free of that torture chamber of a lab, and it layed deep within the Unknown Caves, lamenting it's own birth, and it's very own personality and power, which was supposed to make it IT, but it was nothing. It was a construct...and there was nothing it could do. It's mother was slight possibility it was real. It was REAL. The Mewtwo could of been created, it could of been real! NOT a construct, NOT some thing made for battle! It had a MOTHER! And Colt was trying to take that away. Colt had to die. It lifted another, large foot and slammed it down, clenching it's paws hard. Colt was so frightened he couldn't move.  
  
"Good...good...stay still so I will be free to kill you as slowly as possible." the Mewtwo said, with unaccustomed anger and hatred. Colt stared at it, frozen in his tracks, unable to move. The Mewtwo took another step, and was now close enough. It's long, spindly arm snapped forward, clutching the front of the boy's shirt, and holding him up to the furious Mewtwo's face. Colt stared in horror, as the power that was ebbing and flowing around the Mewtwo now began to flow over him.  
  
"P...please I didn't know, I didn't know! Don't kill me..." Colt stammered. The Mewtwo pulled him closer, so close that it was breathing on Colt's face.  
  
"My mother is hurt because of you. Because of YOU." the Mewtwo said, mentally and physically. It blasted the information into the mind of Colt, as powerfully as possible. Colt screamed in pain.  
  
"Mewtwo, Stop! Don't kill him!" The Mewtwo could hear Drak calling. It hesitated...Drak was it's friend...and it's "trainer". But how could Drak know what it was like?  
  
"Is it possible you could rough him up a little, but not kill him?" He could hear that other human...Monty say from behind him.  
  
"Monty!" Drak protested.  
  
"Well, it's obvious the Mewtwo IS going to hurt him no matter what. And he had it coming, anyway."  
  
The Mewtwo tuned out their arguing. Then it got a idea. Killing would be too quick...it wanted to drag this out. Why let the Human's pathetic existence end now, when it could prolong it's pain and suffering for so much longer! It placed it's free paw on Colt's forehead, and closed it's eyes. Colt whimpered.  
  
"By the power of my mind and that of my mother, I now will take control of your mind." it said slowly, using it's psychic powers to communicate. Colt closed his eyes, anticipating pain, but was surprised when it didn't come.   
  
"You are bound to me. You will not be able to leave my sight until I feel revenge has been taken out or you will die immediately."  
  
Colt, who expected horrible, searing pain and death, was surprised, and opened his eyes. The Mewtwo's eyes were staring directly into his. The Mewtwo dropped him, and Colt sprawled on the floor, stunned. He looked at the Mewtwo fearfully.  
  
"Mewtwo, what did you DO?" Drak cried. He ran over to his friend, but Mewtwo was busy. It kneeled and released it's mother from the bubble. It gave it silently to Drak, who nodded.  
Colt looked at Ella E, looked at the Mewtwo, and then he passed out.  
  
"Oh that's just great. Now we have TWO people who are unconcious." Monty sighed. "This is just perfect. Just like a pair of children..."  
  
  
Chapter 37  
  
"An Egotistical Idiot, An Obsessed Victor, A Team Rocket Member, and A Trainer Who Can't Let Go...and maybe, a Rival with no Reason for Hatred?"  
  
  
"I can't believe this." Ella E said cheerfully, smiling broadly as she walked briskly down the path. She was no worse for wear after her experience with Colt and being thrown into a tree. In fact, she was feeling quite good. "I've got all these friends, and I never expected to get this far!"  
  
"What you expected was a Growlithe." Drak said, after being filled in about what had driven Ella E to try doing this.  
  
"Well, in one way or another, I got one!"  
  
"I got one. It's not yours. " Colt said, resentfully. He was quiet and withdrawn, and he walked slowly next to the Mewtwo, careful that he didn't move out of his sight.  
  
"Well, it's still with me."  
  
"Where are we heading now?"  
  
"The Manachu, of course."  
  
"You still want to go that way?" Monty said. "Why don't we go to another city?"  
  
"Cause the LAST time we headed for a city we got side-tracked and I met Drak, Colt, AND that Mewtwo."  
  
"Sorry." Drak said softly.  
  
"No, it's not your fault, Drak. I'm glad we're friends...but what concerns me is the person after my life." Ella E said, looking thoughtful. The Others looked at her.  
  
"Yeah...the assassin who wiped out the Vermillion City Pokécenter..." Monty said thoughtfully. Drak still seemed sullen, but it was Colt who gave off the most gloom. Since his clothes had been ripped by the force of Mewtwo's mind, he had to change into his Team Rocket uniform, something he seemed slightly embarrassed off. He was still blushing now, hating the simple white and black ensemble he wore, with the bright red R on the front, broadcasting to everyone he was a Rocket. When asked, he explained he liked working undercover instead of in these gaudy customes everyone could see. Monty giggled like an idiot, and Colt had smacked him until he shut up.  
  
"Still...what worries me is where Caleb went." Drak said softly. Ella E looked back at him.  
  
"Caleb...wherever he went. I wonder what he's doing...I wonder how his Charmander is doing too."  
Monty nudged Ella E so hard she practically fell over.  
  
"Is that ALL your worried about? Maybe you and Caleb had more then a rivalry going on...?" Monty winked outrageously. Drak and Colt rolled their eyes as Ella E looked horrified.  
  
"What are you insinuating?"  
  
"Hmm? Got a little crush on poor Caleb, maybe?" Monty nudged her again. Ella E returned the "nudge", so hard it knocked Monty a few feet. Ella E looked furious.  
  
"Poor Caleb is right..." Drak said softly. Ella E got a paper fan from her backpack and smacked them both over the head.  
  
"Of COURSE NOT! WHERE'D YOU GET THAT STUPID IDEA?!"  
  
"Sorry! Sorry!" Both Monty and Drak said, scooting away from Ella E, who was still angry. Colt rolled his eyes.  
  
"I think Caleb has more to do with this then you think." He said simply. The others stopped fighting for a moment and looked at him. Colt had barely said anything while they had walked with him.  
  
"Huh?" Ella E said.  
  
"Think about it. Caleb said he heard someone...or as you say, Ella, saw someone falling. But it was night...how could he have? And what would he be doing out there anyway? Suspicious."  
  
Ella E looked thoughtful, tapping her mouth with her fan. Then she smiled.  
  
"Nah! Caleb wouldn't do that!"  
  
Colt just looked at her, his cheeks still red from embarrassment. It didn't seem to be fading.  
  
"Hey, keep blushing so much and it'll burn in!" Monty said cheerfully, breaking the somber atmosphere. Colt, if possible, turned brighter red. He walked slowly over to Ella E, and spoke softly.  
  
"Can I borrow that fan for a moment?" he asked. He sounded dangerously close to freaking out. Monty looked slightly frightened, and moved behind Drak. Ella E blinked.   
  
"Uh....sure." She handed the fan to Colt. Colt looked at it for a moment, then looked at Monty, who was smiling nervously.  
  
"Just a joke! Kids shouldn't take these things so seriousl-"  
  
WHACK!  
  
A moment later Monty was on the floor, the imprint of a fan on his face.   
  
"Make any more remarks about me and I'll-"  
  
"Wait." Drak said. Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at him. "Do you hear that?"  
  
Everyone was silent as they tried to listen. There was a slight rustling.  
  
"Chaaaaarrrrmeleon!" a angry, surly cry rang out.  
  
"Speak of the devil." Colt said angrily.  
  
"Caleb?" Ella E called out. There was a muffled reply. "Caleb, stop mucking around in those bushes and come out here!"  
  
And sure enough, Caleb fell out of the bushes, onto the path in front of the travelers. His clothes were slightly tattered, and he was smoking, as if he was set on fire. He climbed quickly to his feet, and looked at them awkwardly.  
  
"Hi Ella E!" he seemingly noticed the other people for the first time. He blinked rapidly. "I see you've got company..."  
  
"Long long story!" Ella E said cheerfully.  
  
"Speaking of which, what's yours?" Colt said sullenly. The fact that he couldn't stop blushing made him blush harder. He couldn't believe he was stuck in this gaudy Team Rocket uniform in plain daylight...  
  
"Huh?" Caleb said, confused.  
  
"Ella E told us about how you dissapeared in the rain that other time. She said she heard a whip." Monty added, rubbing at the red mark on his face. "So what's the story?"  
  
Caleb looked confused. But then he looked offended.  
  
"My, aren't we full of accusations today! I haven't even MET you people before and you already think I'm an axe-murderer!"  
  
"Knife-murderer, really." Monty added. Colt raised the fan and smacked Monty with it, effectively shutting him up.  
  
"Well you guys just calm down? We aren't here to throw around random accusations!" Ella E said. The guys looked at her and blinked.  
  
"Have you found the Manachu yet?" Caleb asked. Ella E shook her head No.  
  
"I can't find the right cave...it must be around here somewhere..."  
  
"I think I found it...it's over this way." Caleb said, pointing to where he was in the bushes. Colt and Monty looked skeptical, while Drak was looking at his Mewtwo, that had it's eyes firmly set on Colt.  
  
"Why should we trust you? For all we know, you could of assaulted that girl in Vermillion!" Monty said, gesturing at Ella E. Ella E turned bright red, but it wasn't from embarrassment.  
  
"Why should you be talking! For all I know, YOU could of done it! And why in the world are you trusting a member of Team Rocket, Ella!?"  
  
"HEY!" Colt turned an angry red, along with Monty. During this, Ella E had snuck behind Colt, grabbed the fan and stood off to one side.  
  
"Stop arguing like ignorant children! No one has been proven to have done it yet!" Drak said. The other three boys turned to him.  
  
"Who asked YOU?!" they all said at once. Drak was startled, but replied in kind.  
  
"There is no proof that any of you tried to kill Ella E! So stop arguing like brats-"  
  
"He started it! He said that I did it!"  
  
"Only cause you said I did it first!"  
  
"Stop this pointless arguing-"  
  
"I'll show you how you an trust a rocket!"  
  
"Yeah! As far as I can throw you!"  
  
"I'll show you how far!"  
  
"Well, he does have a point. You ARE a Rocket, after all."  
  
"Shut up, you egotistical-"  
  
"Stop this fighting-"  
  
"Shut up!"  
  
"You shut up!"  
  
Ella E watched as her companions shouting got louder and louder, and it seemed that it was coming to a head. Colt was furious, Drak was frustrated, Monty was trying to act superior, and Caleb was acting defensive. Colt had had enough. He raised one fist, as if to punch Caleb right in the face.  
  
Ella E moved as fast as the wind, and before they knew it they were down, with the stinging pain of the blow of the fan on their faces.  
  
"What's WRONG with you people!" Ella E shouted. Monty and Drak, remembering what happened when they had interruped Ella E before, sat down and shut up. Colt and Caleb weren't as happy...or as submissive.  
  
"Listen, I'm not saying ANY of you have tried to kill me! As far as I know, you're all decent people! Now stop this pointless arguing, and let's get going! I'm leaving to find the Manachu, and if you could POSSIBLY stop arguing long eno-"  
  
"I still think we should get rid of this twerp before he tries to stab you again." Colt said, looking at Caleb.  
  
"What was that?!"  
  
"I WAS TALKING!" Ella E shouted. Colt had a smoldering resentment in his eyes, but he didn't talk back. Caleb had been cowed.  
  
"As I was SAYING, I'm going to find the Manachu...it's what Nyashock told me to find, and it's the one place I may be safe from the Assassins...which could-"  
  
"BE HIM!" Colt shouted, standing up and pointing at Caleb. Ella E drew her left hand back, and the fan hit Colt squarely in the jaw, knocking him over backwards.  
  
"Yeah, you show him!"  
  
Caleb received a fan-smack across the face for his remark.  
  
"Listen! Although I can tell you all hate eachother-" Ella E tried to ignore the low cry of pain from Colt. "There's a complication. That's MY Mewtwo-"  
  
There was a slight sigh of depression from Drak. Ella E ignored that too.  
  
"And it's coming with me. And because of the Geis that Mewtwo put on Colt, he's coming too, unless he would rather die. And Drak already has said he won't leave Mewtwo's side. So that leaves Caleb and Monty who have no reason to come. So stay here and argue all you want. I won't stop you! But I'm leaving!"  
  
Caleb and Colt glared at eachother intensly, and were joined by Monty, who glared daggers at them both. Ella E threw her hands in the air, sighed loudly, and began walking. Colt broke off and followed the Mewtwo, that walked along slowly behind her. Drak left Caleb and Monty, shaking his head.  
  
They walked in silence, and then Ella E chanced a look over her shoulder. Monty and Caleb were following them a short distance away.  
  
"So you ARE coming!" she called back. They mumbled something unintelligible, and blushed. Colt sighed in frustration.  
  
  
Chapter 38  
  
"Seperated by Suspicion, Held together by Something Else..."  
  
  
Ella E sighed to herself. This group that was with her was NOT getting along. That bothered her...and she didn't like this constant arguing.  
  
Of course, it would either by Colt or Caleb who would start the argument, then Monty would get dragged in, then Drak would try to seperate them. It kept happening over and over again, and Ella E decided that she would have to seperate the two who caused the majority of this pointless fights.  
  
She told Caleb to go stand near the Mewtwo, and Colt to walk along next to her. They had grumbled a bit, but basically went along with what she said. It had worked pretty well...  
  
For now.  
  
"Hey Ella E..." Caleb started, "Remember that Team Rocket were the people behind the Vermillion massacre. And to think, the one survivor has one walking next to her..."  
  
Colt clenched his fists angrily.  
  
"Stop it, Caleb. We aren't here to start fights." Ella E said. Colt didn't respond.  
  
"Of course, Caleb has the motive to have done it...and he was extremely suspicious. Who would be after your life more then your rival?" Colt said tightly. Ella E looked back at Caleb, who was also clenching his fists.  
  
"Stop it! This is getting us nowhere!" Drak said. Colt and Caleb opened their mouths as if to say something, but a stern look from Ella E silenced them. They sullenly kept walking.  
  
"Are you sure this is the right direction?" Ella E asked Caleb. She looked back at him, and he was nodding.  
  
"It was a big cave...very dark. Even if it isn't the right way directly, it should lead to the network of tunnels to the Manachu."  
  
Monty scoffed at this.  
  
"So, even YOU believe that that thing is Real? Children will believe anything these days."  
  
"Shut up." Caleb said angrily.  
  
"Stop it!" Ella E said loudly, and Monty and Caleb broke off, walking silently again.  
  
"Well, if we find the cave, at least Eclipse will be able to show us the way. Eclipse should remember the directions..."  
  
Ella E wiped her forehead with her sleeve, looking at the blazing sun. It was getting uncomfortably hot.  
  
"I'm tired...and hot." she said to herself. The others looked at her. "I think I'll take a nap." Ella E walked over to a tree that was near the path, and sat down under it. The Others blinked in surprise.  
  
"Take a NAP?" they said at the same time.  
  
"Well, it's too hot to walk now. So I'll just rest for a while."  
  
Drak, Monty, and Caleb walked over to where she was sitting, resting under the shade. Colt stayed out on the path, sweating under his stifling uniform.  
  
"I'm not tired." he said sulkily.  
  
"Well then, stay up and keep watch." Ella E yawned and layed down, closing her eyes.  
  
"Keep watch? For what?" Colt walked slowly underneath the shade.  
  
"In case that killer-" Ella E made a stabbing motion with her left hand, "comes after me. You never know."  
  
Caleb glared at Colt.  
  
"I think I'll stay awake too...make sure that this Team Rocket member doesn't stab you in your sleep."  
  
Colt glared back at him, still blushing.  
  
"I'll be keeping an eye on YOU as well, Caleb." Colt said the name with contempt. "You could of done it."  
  
Monty looked at the two of them, staring hatefully at eachother.  
  
"As you said, Ella E, there could of been two killers..." Colt and Caleb stared at him in surprise. "So I'll stay awake and make sure they don't kill you..."  
  
"And I'll stay awake and make sure they don't kill eachother." Drak said. The others stared at him.  
  
"You too?"  
  
Colt rolled his eyes in irritation.  
  
"Who next, the Mewtwo wants to stay awake?"  
  
Everyone looked at it, but it was sitting silently, with Eclipse sleeping peacefully on it's head. The Mewtwo's eyes were closed, so there was no way to tell it was asleep...  
  
"It's sleeping." Drak said.  
  
"How do YOU know?"  
  
"When you've been with a Pokémon long enough, you learn a few things." Drak said quietly.  
  
"Fine, All of you stay awake, I don't care. I'm sleeping now." Ella E waved them off and turned over. The others stared at her sleeping form.  
  
Colt glared at Caleb, who glared straight back.  
  
"I'll be watching you. I don't trust you at all." Colt hissed through clenched teeth.  
  
"The Feeling is mutual." Caleb said, sounding just as upset.  
  
"I don't trust EITHER of you!" Monty said, trying to lower his voice to avoid waking up Ella E. "A Team Rocket Member, who has tricked Ella E and held her for hostage-"  
  
"You held her HOSTAGE?" Caleb said angrily. "And you say you can't trust me!?"  
  
Colt looked uncomfortable, the blush only accenting his unhappiness.  
  
"I was forced. You probably would of done the same thing. Let's talk about how suspicious YOU are, Mr. Rival. Why is it that you appeared JUST when we were talking about you?"  
  
"Why is it that you were walking by just as Charmander evolved?" Caleb said back. Slowly, Caleb and Colt's faces were gravitating together, as fury became evident.  
  
"Well, Caleb, you aren't exactly trustworthy either." Drak said quietly. Caleb and Colt broke off their staring match and stared, instead, at him.  
  
"From what Ella E has told me, you kept appearing and dissapearing at strange moments. You said that you saw her falling and heard her in the bushes below the stream. But it was night. How could you have seen her? And where did you run off too? And where did that whip noise come from?"  
  
Caleb was still angry, and he wasn't calming down.  
  
"I have a right to go when I want! I was wandering in the forest at night! I was trying to raise my Pokémon. Is there a RULE against that?"  
  
"Why at Night?" Colt said.  
  
"I wanted a Zubat. They only come out at night. Is that enough reason?"  
  
"No." Colt said spitefully. Monty broke in.  
  
"Continue, Caleb." he said. Colt glared at him, but Monty only looked at Caleb.  
  
"I saw a flash from that ruby on the Nyashock's head. And I saw the white of her hat. They aren't that hard to spot at night, you know. And I heard her crash into the bushes."  
  
Colt looked highly skeptical.  
  
"But that doesn't explain where you went. Where DID you go?"  
  
"I heard something off to the right. So I went that way to see what it was. I thought Ella E was following me. And that whip noise was because it was a Bulbasaur."  
  
"A Bulbasaur?" Colt said Doubtfully.  
  
"There are SOME wild ones left, you know. I tried to attack it, but it was confused or something, because it attacked me instead of my Pokémon. I got lost in the forest, and decided that I should head for town."  
  
"Which town did you go to first?" Monty said.   
  
"I found Celadon by luck. Which reminds me..." Caleb dug into the tattered backpack he had. Colt got ready in case he tried to attack, tensing up. Caleb looked at him with a bored expression.  
  
"I'm not packing a gun, Colt. Here." he took out a flat, rectangular box. He opened it, revealing three stones...one in the shape of a water drop, one in the shape of a flame, and the other in the shape of a lightning bolt.   
  
"Wow!" Monty said. He grabbed the water stone, holding it up. It was 3-D, like some glorious sapphire. "I can see what looks like splashes of water in this! Is this what a water stone looks like?"  
  
"Why'd you buy this?" Colt said, sounding resentful. Nonetheless, he was slightly impressed. These sets costed lots of money. Colt took out the fire one, which flashed like flame in his hand. He held the ruby like stone up and looked through it. There were tinges of yellow, blue, and orange in the deep red, like a roaring fire. He was slightly amazed by it. He had never seen a Fire Stone before.  
  
"Ella E has an Eevee, if you didn't know. I wanted to get a Moon Stone or a Leaf Stone, so we could experiment, but I didn't have enough money. So I got this."  
  
Drak slowly picked up the Thunder Stone. He looked at the stone critically. It was like bright topaz that flashed when held right with a bright, white light, as if it were a flash of electricity.  
  
"Where'd you get the money for these? They're very expensive." Drak said suspiciously.  
  
"I haven't bought anything since I started on this journey. So I had a lot of money saved up when I got to Celadon."  
  
"What'd you say about experimenting?" Monty asked curiously. Caleb shrugged.  
  
"When we were walking, Ella E looked up about Eevee's in her guide. It said that the Moon Stone and the Leaf Stone had no effect on it. We didn't quite believe it, so we were planning to get some as soon as possible."  
  
Drak eyed him suspsiciously. Caleb noticed them all staring at him.  
  
"And what are you looking at ME for? I already told you what happened! In fact, I think someone ELSE has a story they haven't told yet!"  
  
"Who?" Colt said, genuinely curious.  
  
"Monty." Caleb pointed at him. Monty was surprised.  
  
"Me?"  
  
"Yes you. According to Ella E, she just "happened" to run into you as soon as Caleb dissapeared." Colt said, remembering what Ella E had told him. During their walk, Ella E had babbled on and on about what had happened to her. Colt and Caleb had listened readily, but Monty and Drak were slightly bored.  
  
"I was walking through the forest. As Caleb said 'Is there a law against that?'" Monty said, now slightly indignant about being accused.  
  
"In the rain? In the aftermath of the massacre? Seems suspicious." Caleb said. Monty looked very offended.  
  
"So I like the rain. Maybe it sounds odd, but I ALWAYS walk in the rain. That's when all the Plant Pokémon come out, you know. And I needed some time to think."  
  
"That's even more suspicous then HE is!" Caleb said, pointing at Colt. Colt clenched a fist.  
  
"What was that?"   
  
"Keep your voices down!" Drak said urgently. "She IS asleep, you know that?"  
  
The others, suddenly realizing what they were supposed to be doing, sat down in a rough circle around Ella E, keeping watch.  
  
"So, so far all we've accomplished is more accusations." Colt said, looking down at Ella E.  
  
"Well, at least she's safe..." Caleb said.  
  
The four sat around the young Pokémon trainer, staring at her, as the heat of the day descended heavier and heavier. 


	9. Past

Chapter 39  
  
"A Slight Problem...What Do We Do?"  
  
  
"What ARE you, Crazy?!" Drak hissed, grabbing Colt's hand as it was above his head and wresting the fork from it. Colt glared at him angrily, his face still red.  
  
"I'm going to get rid of that little twerp if it's the last thing I do!" he said back angrily. Caleb looked up, glad that Drak had saved him from being jabbed, and glared at Colt again.  
  
"He couldn't do it even if you weren't restraining him! For goodness sakes, he's a member of Team Rocket! Why is he even HERE?! Well, at least we got stuck with a member that's a runt-"  
  
"WHO YOU CALLING A RUNT!?" Colt shouted furiously, straining against both Monty and Drak, who had the foreknowledge to grab each of his arms. Colt pulled hard, totally frustrated, but couldn't break free.  
  
"Quiet! She'll wake up!" Monty said urgently, gesturing at Ella E, who remained asleep. Colt looked furious, with his hair in his face and still blushing angrily. He took in a deep breath, debated mentally whether killing Caleb would be worth waking up Ella E, and then sighed.  
  
"Fine." he said, his voice dripping with hatred. "I won't...I won't take care of that brat over there..."  
  
Caleb narrowed his eyes at the word brat. Colt narrowed his eyes back. "For now." he finished resentfully. Monty sighed in relief.  
  
"Then can we get back to lunch?"  
  
During the sweltering day, they had decided that it was time for some food. Caleb happened to be carrying a full lunch for 5. When asked about it, he shrugged.  
  
"So, I plan ahead. This would have lasted me at least a week."   
  
Colt had glared at him suspiciously, but reluctantly partaken of the food. They had been eating rather quietly for once on the grass, when Caleb asked Colt why he was staring at him. Colt's response fanned the embers of resentment, and soon it got so bad Colt had grabbed the fork he was eating with and tried to stab Caleb.   
  
Colt sulkily took his share of the food, and scooted off, with his back to the other three. Caleb stared at him hatefully.  
  
"Little Team Rocket member can't eat with some REAL trainers...must be envy...makes it hard to eat when you're eating with so many that are so far above you." Caleb said, trying as hard as he could to find some sensitive spot in Colt's defenses.  
  
Monty noticed that Colt had clenched a fist, and it was trembling with fury. He pointed at it, and Drak nodded. He looked at Caleb.  
  
"You stop trying to start fights." he said to Caleb. "Neither of you is the killer and that's that."   
  
"How do we know for sure?" Caleb said suspiciously.  
  
"You know what?" Monty said, having had enough. He pressed a finger into Caleb's chest, and looked knowing. "I don't think this is ABOUT the massacre anymore."  
  
Colt and Caleb looked at him.  
  
"I think this isn't about the killer or anything anymore. I think you two are fighting for a different reason. Correct?"  
  
Caleb didn't say anything, and Colt angrily turned his back again.  
  
"What do you mean, Monty?" Drak said. "They've never met until now."  
  
"You know Love at First Sight?"  
  
Although Drak and Caleb nodded, Colt refused to turn around.  
  
"There's also Hate at first sight. I think Colt and Caleb are such opposites, it's impossible for them NOT to fight."  
  
"Opposites? But don't opposites attract?" Drak said thoughtfully. Monty blinked.  
  
"There are two options. Either they're so different, or it's because they're so alike."  
  
Both Colt and Caleb looked at Monty with surprise.  
  
"WHAT!?" they said in unison. Monty held a finger to his lips, signalling to them to be quiet.  
  
"Listen! I remember reading somewhere that you hate somebody because they have something you hate about yourself."  
  
"That sounds true..."  
  
"So there must be something in Caleb that Colt hates about himself, and vice-versa."  
  
"There is nothing I have in common with that whiny little brat!" Colt said, standing and facing the rest of the group. Likewise, Caleb stood up and glared at Colt.  
  
"How DARE you insinuate that I would have ANY connection to a member of Team Rocket!"  
  
The two of them, especially hot and irritable in this heat, got within inches of each-other, staring into one anothers eyes. They breathed hard, waiting for the other to back down.  
  
"It would be a shame on the name of Team Rocket if you were connected to it anyway." Colt hissed angrily. Caleb narrowed his eyes.  
  
"It would be a shame..." Caleb said, trying to control his anger, "that organized scum like Team Rocket would accept a loser like you."  
  
Monty broke between them, breaking off the fight. Caleb and Colt tried feebly to continue the stare-off, then gave up. Colt grabbed his food and chewed on it slowly, holding the plate near him. Caleb walked over and snatched the plate from Colt's hand, nearly spilling the food off.  
  
"I won't be having scum eating from my food!" Caleb said hatefully. Colt clenched his fists, then stood quietly.  
  
"I've had enough of you." He said, barely containing his fury.  
  
'If you've had enough, then leave!" Caleb said angrily.  
  
"Shhhh, she'll wake up!" Monty said desperatly, but he was ignored.  
  
"Gee, I'm sorry. I forget that idiot children like you have bad memories. In case you've forgotten, I can't. If I leave the Mewtwo, I'll die. Is that too complex for your limited mind?" Colt said, staring at Caleb with pure hatred. Caleb was stunned by the words, but he responded quickly.  
  
"I KNOW that you'll die. That's why you SHOULD leave. Haven't you realized? No one here cares if you die or not. You're a member of Team Rocket, the lowest of the low scum. No one would care if you died. In fact, I think the world would be better off. Or maybe the embarrassment of the fact you think someone cares about you is why you're blushing so hard."  
  
Colt grabbed his plate back and then threw it on the ground, shattering it. He ignored Monty and Drak's requests to be quiet.  
  
"I would rather DIE then listen to an idiot who thinks he's a Pokémon trainer, but in actuality is only a pawn of his parents." Colt began walking, with Caleb stunned into silence.  
  
"TAKE THAT BACK!" Caleb shouted. Colt just kept walking.   
  
"Colt, get back here!" Drak called.  
  
A pain-filled moan broke the tension and everyone froze.  
  
"Was that...?" Caleb looked behind him, and Colt stopped and turned around. Personal arguments were put aside for a moment as they wondered what could of caused the noise.  
  
"I told you to be quiet! Did you listen to me? Noooo!" Monty said.  
  
"Shut up! Where's that noise coming from?" Caleb said irritably. Monty glared at him, but didn't say anything. Colt slowly walked back to where they were sitting, standing curiously. They were totally silent as they tried to listen.  
  
"What was thaAAA!" Colt was interrupted as something rolled into the back of his legs, knocking him over. Angry and embarrassed, he got up and looked.  
  
It was Ella E. She moaned again, twitching fitfully.  
  
"Oh no...Oh no!" Monty said, panicking. "We were supposed to be watching! I bet the killer injected her with some type of poison while Colt and Caleb were-"  
  
"How DARE you attack her! You ARE the killer!" Caleb said angrily. Colt rolled his eyes.  
  
"I wasn't even NEAR her! YOU were ARGUING with ME, YOU IDIOT!"  
  
Another moan from Ella E broke their concentration. Drak leaned over her, putting a hand on her forehead, then taking it away.  
  
"She's sick." he said.  
  
"What?" Caleb and Colt said.  
  
"She's not poisoned or anything?" Monty looked confused.  
  
"No, she's not." Drak said, sounding very calm. "She must have caught something while she sleeping...maybe a Venonat bit her or something. Anyway, we have to get her to a Pokécenter."  
  
"No! We can't!" Colt said, looking slightly worried under the constant red of his persistant blush.  
  
"Why not? Afraid you'll get arrested?" Caleb said meanly. Colt tried to ignore him.  
  
"Remember what Ella E said? We couldn't go to any towns because the Assassin will find her and kill her there! We have to find somewhere else."  
  
"We could protect her, couldn't we?" Monty said. Colt looked at him.  
  
"We couldn't protect her from a Venonat, or whatever bit her. How can we protect her from that Assassin?"  
  
"Especially if he was the one watching her." Caleb said suspiciously. Colt looked at him. Ella E began shivering, flushing red. Drak was concerned.  
  
"We have to do something! This looks bad."  
  
"Well, we don't know if she WAS bitten. Maybe our friend from Team Rocket slipped something in her mouth while we weren't watching." Caleb said. Colt sighed angrily, then sat down next to Ella E. He grabbed her right arm, holding it up to Caleb.  
  
"Look, you dingbat! Does THIS look like poison to YOU?" Colt said angrily. Right on Ella E's wrist were two fang marks, obviously from a Bug-Type Pokémon. It was swollen and red.  
  
"You know what? We should take her to the Manachu." Monty said. The other stared at him in surprise. "What?" he said, noticing their stares.  
  
"First thing you've said lately that was smart!" Drak said. "We could take her to the Manachu...he would know how to cure her! According to what I've heard of it-"  
  
"Of course, that is assuming it's real." Monty said. The others rolled their eyes.  
  
"You STILL don't believe in the Manachu?"  
  
"Of course not." Monty said.  
  
"What about that Gencey, hmm?"  
  
"A clever fake."  
  
Drak sighed. He turned his attention back to Ella E, who was shivering and sweating alternatly.   
"She won't be waking up soon...we need to carry her."  
  
"I'll do it." Colt said quietly. "I'm strong enough. And she doesn't look that heavy."  
  
"Oh no you don't!" Caleb said, running between him and Ella E. "I don't trust you! You might stab or drop her while she was in your arms!"  
  
"Is the ability to ignore ALL EVIDENCE part of your mental history? How many times must I prove I'm NOT the killer to get it through that thick head of yours?!" Colt shouted at him.  
  
"Technically, you haven't proved it at all." Monty said.  
  
"Shut up!"  
  
"I'm not carrying her." Drak said. "I'm not known for physical strength. And besides, someone has to watch my Mewtwo."  
  
"Then I'll carry her." Caleb said.  
  
"How do we know YOUR not the killer?" Colt growled.  
  
"I'm not wearing a Team Rocket uniform." Caleb said slowly. Colt narrowed his eyes, and clenched a fist, raising it as if to punch Caleb. In the end, he lowered it.  
  
"Then lift her, weakling, if you can. She's bigger then you."  
  
"I can do it." Caleb said, trying to ignore the remark about his rather diminuitive stature. He leaned down, and put his arms under Ella E's legs, and then around her shoulders, then lifted. He grunted a little, but he did get her up. He staggered around weakly.  
  
"Ready to walk to the Manachu's cave?" Colt said, smirking.  
  
Caleb almost blanched, but controlled himself.   
  
"I-" he started, but he didn't finish. In the throes of her fevered mind, Ella E had jerked violently, and Caleb gasped, reacting naturally and letting go. He dropped her.  
  
"You idiot!" Colt managed to gasp. He dove and managed to catch her before she hit the ground. "You aren't good for anything! You could of seriously hurt her, you know!"  
  
"Since when do YOU care so much?" Caleb said resentfully, panting. Colt stood up easily, Ella E laying in his arms, twitching. He didn't let go, though.  
  
"If she dies, then the Mewtwo is ownerless. And it's easier for me to follow a trainer then to follow a Psychic Pokémon that can float." Colt said. Caleb glared at him, half in jealousy and half in hatred, but didn't comment. Drak looked at Caleb, who was sulking.  
  
"Caleb, where was the cave you pointed out?"  
  
"Over there, through the bushes." Caleb said. Colt began walking evenly, carrying Ella E like she was no effort at all. Monty followed along behind, and Caleb walked behind him, muttering. Drak walked over to his Mewtwo, tapped it's shoulder and woke it up gently. It got up silently, and walked after the others, Eclipse still sleeping peacefully on it's head. Drak followed silently.  
  
  
Chapter 40  
  
"Jealousy...Weak Points?"  
  
  
Colt kept walking, Ella E twitching and moaning in his arms fitfully, her face red with fever. Colt's was blushing harder now, if that was even possible.  
  
"I could of carried her.." Caleb mumbled to himself as he walked beside Monty. "I could of...if I just got the chance."  
  
Monty rolled his eyes.  
  
"You're the shortest out of all of us, Caleb. Even shorter then Ella E. There's no way you could carry her."  
  
Caleb turned an angry red.  
  
"I COULD TOO!" he shouted. Colt smiled from where he was walking in front of the group.  
  
"So little Caleb has a weak spot? A bit touchy about how short and weak he is?" Colt said condescendingly.  
  
"SHUT UP!" Caleb shouted at him. Colt laughed spitefully.  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry. Should I speak louder so you can hear me down there? Maybe I should bend down when I talk-"  
  
"SHUT UP RIGHT NOW!" Caleb said, so furious that his voice cracked awkwardly. Monty looked in surprise.  
  
"Both of you, stop it." he said, putting himself inbetween the two. "Colt,stop insulting Caleb. Caleb, leave Colt alone. We aren't here to argue, we're here to get to the Manachu."  
  
"Monty's right." Drak said from behind. "We have to work together."  
  
"Who says?" Caleb said resentfully.   
  
"You should be happy." Colt said, smirking now that he had found Caleb's weak spot. "After all, small children like you need protection-"  
  
Caleb gave a cry of rage and lept at Colt, but Monty grabbed him before he could reach, holding him back. Colt laughed again. Caleb clenched his teeth hard.  
  
"Stop it! What did we just say?"  
  
Caleb panted in fury, staring at Colt with hatred. He tried to remember what he had said earlier.  
  
"I guess we should stay together." Caleb said loudly, making sure that Colt could hear. "After all, Colt needs all the help he can get to not get arrested. And maybe being around REAL trainers would be a good influence."  
  
Colt trembled with rage, and he had to force himself to not clench his hands so hard that they would hurt Ella E. He had to keep in mind he was holding her. Ella E gave a loud cry and jerked, and Colt held her tighter to stop her from moving.  
  
Caleb noticed Colt's reaction, and smiled.  
  
"So, the mighty Colt, big Rocket member, also has a weak spot? A slight problem with dealing with rank or superiority?"  
  
Colt clenched his teeth, but didn't say anything. Drak moved forward, looking Caleb straight in the eyes.  
  
"Stop it right now. Fighting gets us nowhere, and the longer we take, the more danger Ella E is in." Drak said calmly.  
  
Colt looked at them all, and Ella E twitched again, jerking violently in his arms. In frsutration, he shifted her position so her head was on his shoulder.  
  
"If only she'd stop twitching like an epileptic..." Colt muttered. Monty let go of Caleb quietly, and Caleb brushed himself off resentfully. Ella E's eyes opened.  
  
"Look! She's awake!" Monty said. Colt jerked in surprise.  
  
"Nano Key Ga...Tatoe Ashita! Fukiaretemo...soottooo...grooooowllll...gaardie...bleep." Ella E babbled nonsense for a few moments, then wrapped her arms tightly around Colt's neck, and then went to sleep again. Colt blushed harder awkwardly, but kept holding her.  
  
"That was...odd. I wonder what she said." Monty stared at Ella E's face curiously.  
  
"Some of it sounded like Japanese." Drak said.  
  
"I think Gardie is Growlithe's name in japanese, isn't it?" Caleb said, looking back at the others.   
  
"It would make sense." Colt said, feeling very awkward.  
  
"Is she choking you?" Caleb said.  
  
"Not really."  
  
"Too bad."  
  
Colt made a slight noise of frustration, but kept walking.  
  
"Where did you say it was, Caleb?" Monty said, trying to break the mood of hostility.  
  
"It should be around here." Caleb said, looking around.   
  
"Mewtwo." The Mewtwo said simply. Drak, Monty, and Caleb turned to look, but Colt couldn't. He shifted Ella E's weight until he could carry her easier, and then looked. Ella E moaned again, and clutched him tighter, causing Colt to blush harder, if possible.  
  
"You know where it is, Mewtwo?" Drak said. The Mewtwo nodded slowly.  
  
"How?"  
  
The Mewtwo pointed to the Gencey on it's head, who was smiling happily.  
  
"Gen gen!" Eclipse said cheerfully.  
  
"Figures it would remember where the Manachu was." Colt said, scratching his head.  
  
"I still think this is all fake." Monty said resentfully. Colt was beginning to lose his patience.  
  
"No one cares what you think. Mewtwo, where do we go?"  
  
Monty grumbled, but didn't protest. The Mewtwo said something.  
  
"Mewtwo says that we need to go west, then north, and we should get to a cave."  
  
"West and north?"  
  
There was a slight pause.  
  
"Whose got a compass?" Colt asked. There was a silence.  
  
"Great! No one does! How are we going to tell?"  
  
"I think I know...I spend a lot of time outdoors." Monty said looking around. He looked up, and then looked at the trees.  
  
"We're heading East now. So we should head in that direction." Monty said, pointing off to his left. Colt nodded, and headed off that way.  
  
"My Colt, your blushing more then usual." Caleb said meanly, having sped his pace until he was walking alongside him. "Is there something wrong?"  
  
Colt blushed harder with embarrassment, as Ella E tightened her grip.  
  
"Nothing's wrong. It's this stupid uniform..."  
  
"I'd think you'd be proud to be the scum of the earth." Caleb said cheerfully, then looked serious. "You aren't ashamed, are you? The first step to recovery is admiting that you're below all of us, you know?"  
  
"I think the only person that's below right now is you, shorty." Colt said, trying to control his rage. Both of them were angry.  
  
"Caleb does have a point..." Monty said, walking on the other side of Colt. Colt glared at him. Monty smiled awkwardly. "I mean about the blushing part!"  
  
Colt looked straight ahead, wishing they'd go away.  
  
"Why ARE you blushing so hard, anyway?"  
  
"I told you, it's the uniform!" Colt said, frustrated.  
  
"It wasn't as bad before." Monty said, winking. "Perhaps the fact that Ella E is cuddled up to you?" Monty nudged Colt, and he looked horrified.  
  
"What are you insinuating?"   
  
"Perhaps our mean, surly Team Rocket member has a little crush on our Growlithe-Obsessee?"  
  
"Of course not! Where'd you get a ridiculous idea like that? If I wasn't carrying her-" Colt was getting angry.  
  
"Maybe that's why you volunteered so early!" Monty said, still winking.   
  
'That's cause none of YOU could do it!"  
  
Ella E moaned and grabbed Colt tightly, and sure enough, he got redder.  
  
"See? It happened again!"  
  
"Shut up and leave me alone!" Colt said angrily, and Monty only smiled and winked some more. Drak, avoiding this whole conversation and walking behind them all, only shook his head. Caleb looked slightly amused. Colt tried awkwardly to ignore Monty as they walked through the deep forest, looking for their cure.  
  
  
Chapter 41  
  
"Never Judge The Whole by One Experience..."  
  
  
Monty kind of sauntered as he walked along, smiling to himself happily. He knew a secret, and that made him happy. One thing that Monty especially enjoyed was secrets, and his ability to control over them, to spread or keep to himself as he wished. It gave him a sense of purpose, and a sense of power, something that Monty liked.   
  
He looked side-long at his surly companion, who was carrying his sick friend. He was positive. Colt was blushing so hard he could barely talk. Monty nodded to himself. Ella E moaned pitifully, and Monty winced. Althought his did give him his ability over a secret, he didn't like the noises of pain. They made him feel guilty. He wish he knew something he could do. He sighed as he thought. All these children he walked with still believe in the fake folk-lore of the Manachu, and were actually depending on it to save them! Monty couldn't see how they could possibly believe any word of that story. It was so ridiculous, and so unbelievable. How could they expect to help her this way? They couldn't.  
  
Monty looked at Colt, who was shifting his arms awkwardly, and looking horribly embarrassed whenever Ella E tightened her grip. He was walking evenly, apparently not concerned or troubled by how much Ella E weighed. Monty slightly admired that...as it was, his slender, thin frame could never support the stocky young girl. It appeared that the only one among them with any physical ability was Colt. Well, Ella E was strong, but she was also unconcious.  
  
Monty smiled to himself. In the course of a few hours, he had learned a variety of secrets, mainly about the arguing pair. He put his hands behind his back and thought.  
  
Of course, he had given his own method of hinting at what he had found out, but he doubted the children that he accompanied could comprehend his subtle hint. He looked up, as if for askance. Oh, to be the only mature and adult one in a crowd!   
  
Monty was positive of a few things now. One, he was sure of Caleb's weakness...and two, he was sure of Colt's. And three...he was fairly sure on Colt and Ella E's relationship. He frowned at that. That wasn't good. He smiled again. At least he knew the secrets...  
  
"What's with YOU?" Colt managed to choke out from the overwhelming pressure of the embarrassment on his face. "You seem to be changing moods faster then a malfunctioning mood ring."  
  
"Like THAT was funny..." Caleb muttered to himself. Drak, Monty noticed, was smiling slightly. Monty kept his smile.  
  
"I'm just thinking. I think we're all going the entirely wrong way with this. The Manachu doesn't exist...why are we going to a fictionary thing for help?"  
  
The others sighed, and Monty could tell they were going to bring up their age-old defense of the imaginary thing. Fools...he thought. Gullible to boot.  
  
"Monty, don't you understand ANYTHING?" Drak said quietly.  
  
"Think about that Gencey..."  
  
"It's fake, as I have said before." Monty said. He looked at the Pokémon in question, which was sleeping peacefully. That thing would be hard to fake...but it couldn't be real.  
  
"The Manachu is our only hope." Caleb said.  
  
"No it isn't! I think we should find some remote cabin, and ask them for help." Monty said.  
  
"Oh, like remote cabins just pop out of thin air." Caleb said, waving his arms. Then he ran into a wall.  
  
"OW!" Caleb shouted, falling backwards. Drak smiled secretly to himself.  
  
"What do you know..." he said softly. Sure enough, it was a cabin that Caleb had run into.  
  
"Ooooow!" Caleb said, holding his face. "I don't believe this!"  
  
"Neither do I, actually." Colt said suspiciously, looking at Monty. He shrugged helplessly.  
  
"I think it's weird too. Quite a coincidence."  
  
"Enough talking. Where's the door?" Drak said, movnig forward. The Mewtwo followed along behind him, carrying Eclipse in it's arms. Caleb managed to stand up.  
  
"Right to the point, huh Drak?"  
  
"No use dancing around something..." Drak said distractedly, making his way around the cabin. Colt shifted Ella E's weight, then made a stifled gasp.  
  
"Kabu!" the voice came from his shoulder.  
  
"What was that?" Monty asked, looking around.  
  
"Static." Caleb said, slightly relieved. "It must of been sleeping."   
  
"Kabuto." Static said grumpily, then was silent. There was a pause, then a surprised shout from the other side, away from their view, of the cabin.   
  
"Drak? Drak! Where are you?" Caleb called out in worry. There were further sounds, such as battling, from the corner. Monty rolled his eyes, then decided he would look. He moved slowly, inching along the edge of the cabin, and listening. Peeking around, he saw Drak, looking slightly battered, with the Mewtwo in front of him, holding up blue psychic shield. Drak's sleeve was torn, and he was bleeding slightly from his mouth. He panted, holding a deeply wounded shoulder. Facing him where a pair of people, a girl and a boy, each standing and observing the Mewtwo. Next to them was a large, angry Scyther, and a Sandslash.  
  
"You...got lucky...hitting me the...first time..." Drak managed to pant. "Scyther's Blades...could of taken my...head...."  
  
"They will, don't worry." said one girl, her voice cruel and vicious. "If you don't give us everything of value to you."  
  
"And then Sandslash will rip your body to shreds...and we'll take it anyway." The boy's voice was equally cruel. "Make it easier on yourself..."  
  
"And give it to us without resistance."  
  
"I...don't...think...so..." Drak said, with icy determination. Monty gasped, and thought quickly. Drak needed help. He backed away slowly, and then ran back to the others. Caleb was looking in some bushes, while Colt stood awkwardly, holding the sick girl.  
  
"Drak's in trouble!" Monty said quickly. Colt and Caleb looked at him.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Two..Two people, with a Sandslash and a Scyther, are trying to rob him!" Monty said. Colt's eyes widened.  
  
"The one with a Sandslash was a boy, wasn't it? With black hair...and the girl was with the Scyther, with yellow-white hair, right?" Colt said, sounding slightly angry.  
  
"Uh...yeah. How did you know?" Monty said, surprised. Colt looked down, then back up. He began moving in the direction Monty had last taken, looking serious. Monty could sense there was something behind this.  
  
"Come on...I think I can handle this..." Colt said softly.  
  
They slowly made their way near the two robbers, and winced as there were loud CHING noises as the Scyther's blades bounced off the Mewtwo's shield, and a cry from Drak as the Sandslash erupted underneath him. Monty turned and watched as the Mewtwo shifted the shield around Drak, and the Scyther took the oppurtunity to slash at it's back. The Mewtwo concentrated hard, and formed two, relatively weak shields.   
  
Monty abruptly found that Ella E had been placed in his arms. He staggered for a minute, then sat down, holding Ella E in his lap.  
  
"Colt...what are you-" Monty began, but Colt held up a hand to silence him. Colt walked out very clearly and quietly into the battlefield. Caleb blinked rapidly, then stared in amazement.  
  
"He's going to get himself KILLED!"  
  
"I'd think you'd be happy." Monty remarked. Caleb smiled.  
  
"I am."  
  
This time Monty blinked in surprise.  
  
"Reimia and Tashi." Colt said forcefully. His blush intensifyed as the pair looked at him. They blinked. "Leave him alone."  
  
"Colt? Colt, is that YOU?" the girl said.   
  
"Why in the world are YOU here?" the boy looked very surprised.  
  
"It doesn't matter. Leave." Colt was trying to sound serious, but the blush he felt was undermining his confidence. The boy and girl smiled.  
  
"Why, Tashi, I do believe it's Colt." The Boy said to the girl. Tashi smiled.  
  
"I wonder what in the world he's doing here, Reimia. In our business, no less!"  
Colt had taken this time to walk over to Drak, who was barely standing. Colt stood next to him.  
  
"I don't have time to argue. Go away."  
  
"No time to argue?" Reimia said.  
  
"There's all the time in the world..." Tashi said.  
  
"After all, we would think YOU would have a lot of free-time..."  
  
"After what happened."  
  
"I don't want to talk about it." Colt was getting angry. It was easy to tell. Monty could sense something happening.  
  
"Why not? Talking is the easiest thing to do..."  
  
"Especially when you're talking to someone who listens..."  
  
The two were slowly walking towards Drak and Colt, looking menacing.  
  
"Who...are you?" Drak wheezed. Colt glared.  
  
"Reimia and Tashi, two members of Team Rocket. Former affiliates."  
  
"Former affiliates?" Tashi said, looking slightly sad. "Why, that's so..."  
  
"Formal." Reimia finished. "We'd think YOU'D be the one to not care for conventional rules..."  
  
Colt refused to answer, only putting a shoulder around Drak and helping him up. Drak leaned on him heavily, bleeding from his shoulder. The Mewtwo's tail lashed, and it walked over to it's friend, touching the wounded shoulder. It then glared hatefully at their tormentors. The Scyther whipped it's blade forward in readiness, and the Sandslash bared it's razor sharp spins threateningly.  
  
"After what you did, of course."  
  
"Unforgivable...and unbelievable!" Tashi glared at Colt, who supported Drak readily. Drak looked at Colt with heavily-lidded eyes.  
  
"What did you do..." Drak gasped out. Colt shook his head.  
  
"It doesn't matter anymore! And don't tell me what's right or wrong! You should know for one, Reimia!" Colt said angrily. Monty was finding this fascinating, but a bit boring. He didn't want to sit her all day as Colt and his two "friends" duked it out. He tried to stand up, then remembered that Ella E was laying right across his lap. In the end, it turned out it was un-necessary in general, because Caleb got up, and walked straight across the clearing. Colt looked surprised, then glared hatefully at Caleb. Caleb slightly smirked, then walked next to the Mewtwo, well in it's shield. Reimia and Tashi were too surprised to act for that moment.  
  
"So, you two know this piece of scum?" Caleb said hatefully. "I take it your also part of his "organization"..." he was obviously directing this comment at Colt. Colt was furious, and his face got redder.  
  
"Not now..." he said quietly to himself. "Not now!" Caleb was having a grand old time torturing the person he hated in front of what he assumed to be his friends. Reimia and Tashi looked at him, then at each other. Then they both smiled grimly.  
  
"Oh, we know Colt..."  
  
"Everyone does. After what he did..."  
  
Caleb perked up immediately.  
  
"What he did? Do I sense a scandal?" Caleb looked back smugly at Colt, who was turning bright red, not only in face, but also in his uniform, as Drak continued bleeding, his blood slowly seeping into Colt's uniform. But that wasn't his present concern. He gritted his teeth.  
  
"We need help. Drak is hurt, Caleb. Can't you put away your hatred for a few SECONDS so we can take CARE of it?" Colt said, hissing his words through his fury. Reimia and Tashi seemed to find this very funny. They were both smiling. Caleb clenched a fist, and thought very hard. Monty struggled to get up, then remembered that Ella E was still sprawled across him. Frustrated, all he could do was sit and watch.  
  
"How can we take care of it?" Caleb said, looking at Drak. "Where will we find a Hospital around here?" Caleb was frustarated, and was looking for some way to vent his anger. "You act like there's no problem finding a hospital in this area! Like they magically appear! Well, I-"  
  
"This is very amusing." Tashi laughed loudly, interrupting their fight. "Colt can't help but attract enemies wherever he goes!"  
  
"Of course, it's not surprising..." Reimia said, closing his eyes and looking upwards. "Considering what he's like and all...can't believe anyone likes him at all."  
  
Colt closed his eyes, and his whole body trembled as he felt rage surge through him. It urged him to attack...urged him to make them pay for what they said. But he couldn't. He had to keep control. He felt Drak lean heavily against him. He closed his eyes, and counted slowly, trying to stay calm. He began walking off, and the Mewtwo slowly walked backwards behind them, making sure it never turned it's back. Caleb looked in surprise.  
  
"Where are YOU going?" he said. Colt clenched his teeth.  
  
"I'm going to get help, you idiot."  
  
"WHERE!?" Caleb shouted back. Reimia and Tashi moved quickly, and they soon blocked Colt's path. Now getting uncomfortably close to the pinned Monty, they put their hands on their hips and smiled. 


	10. Dark

Chapter 42  
  
"More People in Need of Medical Help...a Shortage of Doctors Recently?"  
  
  
"Move out of the way." Colt said angrily, glaring at the two in front of him. They continued smiling, as if there was nothing that could worry them.  
  
"You know, Colt, I don't think I want too." Reimia said. Tashi looked smug.  
  
"What do you think of THAT?!"  
  
Colt's eyes narrowed, and he looked at Drak, who was trying to stand, but was failing. He was loosing a lot of blood from his shoulder...the Scyther's blade had bitten deep. Caleb was standing near the arguing group, but not actively participating yet. Colt looked at him, then pushed Drak at him.  
  
"Take care of this for a second."  
  
Caleb gasped, then fell over as Drak collapsed on him. Finally snapped out of his fevered hatred, he stared in shock at the deep wound.  
  
"Drak! Oh...oh man...this is bad!" Caleb said to himself. Drak had his eyes almost closed, but they still flickered open, trying to keep conscious. Meanwhile, Colt, freed of his burden, now felt light. And powerful.  
  
Colt noticed that Monty was sitting nearby, unable to move. Colt didn't care. He had to deal with this now.  
  
"I'll tell you what I think." Colt said, his voice low and angry. He moved forward quickly, and shoved Reimia hard, pushing him down. "I think that you two should know better then to challenge me."  
  
"Reimia!" Tashi said, concerned, extending a hand to help him up. She glared hatefully at Colt, her first appearance of fury.  
  
"This time, it won't be easy Colt! You won't have the advantage in strength, because it won't be YOU that we'll be fighting! Scyther, Go!"  
  
"Scyyyyyther!" the high-pitched, grating voice ripped through the air, startling Colt. Colt turned, and saw the massive creature barreling down on him, the massive, razor sharp blades held high.  
  
In Team Rocket, one of the main requirements was phsyical ability, or at least good reflexes. And Colt was one of the best. He quickly threw himself down, and he felt the Scyther whoosh over him, leaving a rip in the back of his uniform. Colt dug deep in his memory, thinking of times when he was trained to avoid the attacks of Pokémon, in case a trainer became violent. Colt backflipped elegantly to avoid the next pass of the Sycther, that flew under him, shrieking in frustration at not being able to hit it's target. Colt felt the blade graze his thigh, and breathed a sigh of relief that it hadn't injured him. He cursed himself...he should have been able to do this without this much trouble.  
  
Tashi, shocked her Scyther was missing, called out her commands. In the middle of his backflip, Colt grabbed a Pokéball from his belt, and threw it out viciously, where it burst open in a flare of fire.  
  
"Go! Take care of the Scyther!" he called to his Pokémon.  
  
"Groooooooooooooooooowlithe!" the hunting cry of the creature rang through the air, as it snarled. As lithe and able as it's trainer, it watched the Sycther cautiously as it came towards it again.  
  
"Huh?" Monty cried, as Ella E suddenly stirred in his arms. She tried to sit up, but she was too weak.  
  
"A Grooowliiittthhhee..." she moaned, trying to get up.  
  
"Stop! Stay still!" Monty said urgently. Ella E pushed him, but because of her weakness, he didn't go far.  
  
"Stop, Ella E! Colt is trying to save our lives! He needs to concentrate!"  
  
"Colt? Growlithe?" Ella E was confused. Monty grabbed her arms and pinned them, staring in anxiety at the battle.  
  
"It's a long story...but we need Colt to get us out of this!"  
  
Ella E struggled, but in her poisoned state, she couldn't break free. Monty watched.  
  
"SCYYYY!" The Sycther screamed, whirling it's blades through the air, causing shrieking squeals of wind. The Growlithe leapt out of the way, it's striped body glowing with firey energy as the flames began to build. Drak opened his eyes, and sat up, levering himself with his good arm.  
  
"Drak...are you okay?" Caleb asked. Even now, Drak looked at him with a sarcastic look.  
  
"Does...does it look like I am?" he managed to wheeze. He looked, and found his friend. "Mewtwo...help..." Drak could feel his body losing it's weak strength, and he collapsed again.  
  
"Drak! Drak!" Caleb shook him, but Drak wouldn't wake up.  
  
Meanwhile, Colt had another problem to deal with. Reimia was up and unhappy.  
  
"Colt, you're a disgrace to us and to everyone! And you have the audacity to attack ME! Sandslash, rip him to shreds!"  
  
"Slash!" the gratey, gritty voice of the Sandslash called out, and there was a flurry of dirt as it dissapeared. Colt tried to remember how to react. He had to keep moving. He had to keep going, and get rid of these two so his friends could get proper care...  
  
He tensed himself, then did another backflip, just as the Sandslash burst beneath him. He heard a whizzing of wings, and he threw himself flat, as the Scyther made another pass at him. He felt the rumbling heat of his Growlithe near him, licking his face with a now uncomfortably-warm tongue. He remembered everything now.  
  
Colt shoved his Growlithe away.  
  
"Growlithe, Flamethrower!" he managed to say, before the Sandslash erupted beneath him, the razor sharp spines and claws ripping into his chest. Colt felt the primal urge to scream, but controlled it. He couldn't scream...it was something he could never do...something he trained himself not to do. Instead, he clenched his teeth and hissed.  
  
"Ha!" Reimia laughed, proud of his Pokémons accomplishment. "So, Colt, not as invulnerable as you thought!"  
  
Colt clutched his chest, the red R still glaring from the scraps. He could feel blood running down his hands, his own life leaving his body. He wasn't disturbed, although he looked at Tashi and smiled, as he heard the rumbling roar of his Growlithe behind him.  
  
"GROOOOOWL!"  
  
He felt the rush of flames and the tortured scream of the Scyther as it crashed to the ground, it's delicate wings set on fire, it's body burning. Tashi screamed in horror, recalling her burned and fainted Pokémon. She had tears in her eyes.  
  
"You're going to pay for this!" she screamed hysterically. Colt managed to stand.  
  
"I would make some kind of bragging comment here..." Colt said, smiling rather sarcastically, even as the dozens of gashes of all lengths and depths bled on his chest. "If I had a water Pokémon...."  
  
"Even you can't maneuver with so many injuries Colt...My Sandslash will tear you apart!" Reimia shouted, obviously getting into the feel of things. The Sandslash burst from the ground in a flare of rocks, and crouched, it's spines bristling high as it glared at Colt. It bared it's claws and hissed.  
  
"Mewtwo." A simple, demonically passive and calm voice said from behind him. Colt widened his eyes in surprise, as a white paw went over his shoulder, pointing at the Sandslash. Slowly, he could see familiar blue energy flow from the paw, flowing across the ground to the Sandslash, enveloping it. Colt was reminded of HIS experience with the Mewtwo, and he sat down hard, shivering. In the heat of battle, he couldn't think of pain. Now it hit him full-force...hard.  
  
"SAAAND!" the Sandslash screeched, waving it's claws in the air as it slowly was lifted. Colt looked behind him, and saw Drak's eyes glowing, as the Mewtwo's eyes narrowed, and the Sandslash screamed in pain as terrible pain was inflicted on it's mind. The Mewtwo released it's grip, and it fell to the ground in a heap of spines. Reimia recalled it in fury.  
  
"Colt, this is an insult to us and the Team YOU were once a part of!"  
  
"In a way, I am still part of it..." Colt was crouched, holding his hands to his chest as if to prevent any more blood from leaving his body. Tashi glared in fury.  
  
"Don't you wait! Team Rocket has a long memory, and a longer arm! We'll get our friends and get you!"  
  
"Ha." Colt said humourlessly. Tashi and Reimia, frustrated at his reaction and their defeat, threw their hands down dramatically, resulting in a flash of smoke and their dissapearance.   
  
Monty let go of Ella E, who crawled off him. Finally able to move, he ran to Colt.  
  
"Oh geez, Colt, you've been torn up!" Monty dug in his backpack. Colt was still blushing, this time harder.  
  
"I'm fine." Colt tried to stand, but stumbled. Monty found a roll of bandages, and gave them to him.  
  
"Put these on! I'll look for some for Drak..." Monty began digging, as Colt looked at the bandages curiously. He thought hard. Someone was actually offering him something? Not because they wanted to be spared, but because they actually were concerned for him? It was hard for him to believe, and he closed his eyes and forced his complicated thoughts from his head. He undid the end of the bandages and began wrapping them around the dark red gashes that now decorated his chest.  
  
"You can take care of it, huh Colt?" Caleb said, angrily, trying to get up from where Drak had fallen on him. "That was REALLY taking care of it!"  
  
Colt walked over silently and grabbed Drak's arm, dragging him easily off Caleb and on his feet, where he led him to his Mewtwo that he could lean on for support.  
  
"I would of liked to see YOU do a better job." Colt said, sounding dangerously low and passive. Caleb could not take the hint, and instead walked right up to Colt, looking up furiously as his superior height.  
  
"That wasn't taking care of it! Thanks to YOU-"  
  
"They're gone. That's what matters." Colt turned away.  
  
"Don't you turn your back on ME, you scum! What was that comment about Team Ro-"  
  
"Hey..." Drak said softly. They turned their attention to him, where Monty was bandaging his arm. "We're looking for a cave...aren't we?"  
  
Colt and Caleb nodded.  
  
"There's one." Drak pointed to a rock nearby, with a large, gaping hole in the front.  
  
  
Chapter 43  
  
"Sore Wa Himitsu Desu..."  
  
  
"What are we going to do about her?" Monty pointed at Ella E, who had collapsed, unconcious. Colt ran a hand over the bandages on his chest, thinking hard. Caleb stared at him hatefully. He couldn't believe this...this whole charade...  
  
Colt...how he hated him! Those fancy acrobatics, that dramatic shout...he knew what it was for. It was just so he could show off, because he had something they didn't. Caleb glared at the Rocket Member in hatred, staring at his face, red with blush.  
  
"I suppose I'll have to carry her..." Colt said weakly. Monty blinked.  
  
"You're hurt. Can you?"  
  
Caleb felt more anger going through him. Even now, even when his chest had been slashed up, Colt was STILL superior to him in being able to lift Ella E! Caleb clenched a fist angrily. How could a member of Team Rocket have such an advantage over him in every way? He was feeling inferior and jealous...of a ROCKET! Caleb hated himself for how he felt, and he hated Colt for making him feel that way.  
  
"Caleb, can you support Drak?"  
  
The Sudden question from Monty broke his fevered state, and he nodded. He didn't take his eyes off Colt as he walked silently over to where Monty was. Monty draped Drak's arms around his shoulders, then stood back.  
  
Caleb had never realized how HEAVY Drak was! Caleb could feel his knees buckling under this weight, but his own determination and anger kept him up. If Colt could carry Ella E, even with his chest slashed, then Caleb could at least support Drak.  
  
Colt walked over to Ella E, staring down at her with a calculating look. Why was it that only Caleb seemed to notice the predatory, evil look Colt got when he looked at Ella E? It was a sure sign that it was Colt that was behind all this trouble, all these deaths...  
  
Colt leaned down, wincing slightly at his wounds, then lifted Ella E up, where she yawned, and leaned against him, apparently asleep. Colt got redder. Caleb stared at him with hatred. He cursed at his physical ability, and cursed Colt's.  
  
"Caleb? Caleb, what ARE you doing?" Monty asked him. Caleb turned towards him, about to unleash his fury, when he realized Monty wasn't the object of his hatred. He managed to stop himself.  
  
"I'm thinking."  
  
"No, I mean with Drak. You're about to Drop him."  
  
Caleb stared in surprise as Drak was so close to the ground, he could of fallen flat in the dust. Caleb pulled hard, pushing Drak back straight. Caleb looked up at Drak's unconcious expression. How could someone support someone whose taller then they are?  
  
"Mew." The Mewtwo said simply, pointing at the cave.  
  
"Gen gen! Gencey!" Eclipse cried happily, staring at the cave where it had once came from. Colt looked carefully. Caleb glared at him. No doubt, when he had the chance, when they were seperated by darkness, he would make his move and finish off Ella E. Then finish off the rest of them.  
  
But if Colt wanted to kill them all...why had he cared for Drak? Perhaps it was a clever charade.  
  
The shattering sound of glass broke his thought. When he turned to look, he noticed Colt, who, regardless of his wounded chest, was leaning down to pick up another rock. He had a furious, angry look in his eyes that Caleb had never seen before, not even when he had taunted Colt about his weakness. This anger was so uncontrolled and so STRONG, it frightened him. Colt looked at the cabin with utter hatred, throwing the rock at a window with surprising strength and accuracy. Another pane of glass shattered into a thousand pieces, scattering over the ground and inside.  
  
"Colt! COLT! What are you doing!?" Monty cried. Colt was too angry to talk, the blush on his face covered by the scarlet of fury.  
  
"I hate you!" he shouted at the cabin, "I HATE YOU!" he kept shouting as he threw more and more rocks at the cabin, looking frustrated and angry.  
  
Caleb stared in amazement. He had never seen Colt lost control like this before. This was strange. Caleb wondered if it made him unhappy, and he hoped so. Anything to cause him pain. Monty walked up next to Colt, looking concerned.  
  
"Colt...Colt, what are you doing? Who are you talking to?"  
  
"I hate you..." Colt said, trailing off as a shock of pain from his chest shot through him, and he sat down hard. He grabbed a stone and squeezed it in his hand so hard that it trembled. He stared at the cabin. "I hate you because of what you do to me..." he said, low and quiet. Caleb stared in confusion.  
  
Obviously, he was referring to Reimia and Tashi. But why? Why did they give him such a reaction? There was something behind Colt, and Caleb knew he had to find it out sometime.  
  
Sometime soon.  
  
"Colt, calm down..." Monty said, kneeling down next to him. "They're gone. It's gone. It doesn't matter anymore."  
  
Colt looked at him through angry eyes, then exhaled angrily and threw his stone to the ground. Monty looked at Caleb.  
  
"How is Drak doing?"  
  
Caleb was shocked out of his thought pattern, and he looked at him. Drak eyes were half-open, but Caleb was pretty sure they weren't seeing anything.  
  
"He looks sort of like he's in shock."  
  
Suddenly, Drak's eyes flared with blue energy, and a bright blue glare began to enamanate from them. Caleb was so startled he almost dropped Drak, but he managed to hang on. Drak's eyes glew light blue as he mouthed silent words. Colt, Monty, and Caleb stared in confusion. Slowly, the light dissapeared, and Drak was quiet again.  
  
"Drak? Drak? What was that?" Caleb said, shaking his shoulder. Drak looked at him, apparently concious again.  
  
"It was Mewtwo..." Drak said laboriously, as if it were painful to even talk. "Mewtwo said...that we shouldn't go inside the cave now."  
  
Caleb looked at the gaping hole in the mountain, now lit with tinges of red and yellow as a sign of the end of a day. The sun was setting.  
  
"We have to!" Colt said slowly. "We have to get Ella E to the Manachu, quickly."  
  
"I know." Drak said quietly. "But Mewtwo said it could enter Ella E's mind, and temporarily slow the poison's progress. That way, it would give us time for a night of rest, then we could go in the morning."  
  
"Where is Mewtwo?" Caleb asked. The huge Pokémon was nowhere to be seen.  
  
"Mewtwo is tending to it's injury...as psychically linked as we are...my wound is it's wound...and because Mewtwo is so powerful, it took a while for the slash to manifest." Drak closed his eyes, breathing slowly, as if trying to regulate his breath. Monty sat up, looking at Colt. Colt looked up at him with a mixture of pain, anger, and frustration.  
  
"We might as well camp here...seeing as the cabin is ruined." Monty said, looking at the broken windows.  
  
"Figures that Colt would make us sleep in the open. I think he would be used to it." Caleb smirked. Colt looked at him, then grabbed another stone and clenched it. Monty walked off to gather some wood.  
  
~~~  
  
Slowly, a fire was burning in the darkness of the incoming twilight. The sun was nearly set, and everything was a deep, dark red. Ella E was wrapped in some blankets as she stared unseeing at the fire. The others watched her carefully. Ella E twitched her left arm, and Static, apparently affected by this sickness, gave a weak "Buto..." and was quiet.  
  
Caleb grabbed some of the food they were eating and sat next to her.  
  
"Are you hungry? Can you eat?" he asked. Ella E looked at him with almost-glazed eyes. She looked unbearably sad. She shook her head slowly "No".  
  
"You've got to eat...you didn't eat lunch with us either..."  
  
Ella E returned her gaze to the fire. Caleb, disturbed by her lack of attention, turned away.  
  
"What do I do? he asked the others helplessly. Colt was sitting down across the fire, staring silently. He shrugged. Drak was looking at his shoulder, making sure it wasn't deeply injured. Monty was sitting and looking up at the fading sky. He turned and looked at him.  
  
"If she doesn't want to eat, you can't make her." Monty said. Caleb thought deeply. But he couldn't just let her starve. He turned back to her.  
  
"Please eat, Ella E. You can't starve."  
  
Ella E continued staring.  
  
"You're worrying me. Don't do this...if you want to ward off the poison, you have to eat." Caleb said forcefully. The others looked at him. Slowly, Ella E turned towards him. She took the food and slowly began eating it. Caleb smiled.  
  
"Great!" he said.   
  
Slowly, it got darker and darker, and Venomoths that glew in the dark fluttered out of the forest. Ella E finished her food and put the plate down. Monty was taking a nap, and Drak eyes were glowing blue again. They had been for quite some time, apparently he was having a extended conversation with his Mewtwo.   
  
Ella E was shivering constantly. She mumbled almost silently about the cold. She was so cold...Caleb, unable to do anything but drape blankets that had no effect, finally had nothing to do but lean back. Slowly, the warm night had it's effect on him, and he fell asleep. Drak, tired from his mental exertion, leaned back with his eyes closed, apparently also asleep. The only one awake was Colt.  
  
Ella E was so cold. So Cold...there was nothing that made her warm. It was if she was covered with ice. The Kabuto on her arm gave her chills. Her nose was stuffed up, her head hurt, and she felt awful. Why was this happening to her? She never felt more alone...  
  
She managed to look over at Colt, who was sitting quietly. He looked at her studyingly.  
  
"Are you cold?" he asked. Amazed that he knew, she nodded. He looked at the small fire, dying down. "No wonder...the fire is almost down. I'll get more wood."  
  
Colt levered himself up slowly. She noticed a bandage on his chest. What had happened to him?  
She suddenly remembered about the killer...could be waiting for her.  
  
"Don't leave me..." she managed to gasp out, her throat feeling sore and dry. "Please..."  
  
"I'll only be gone a minute. You've got Drak, Monty, and Caleb."  
  
"They're asleep...don't leave me alone." she said. She was feeling dizzy. Wondering whether he would stay with her, she closed her eyes. She felt slightly better. She tried to sleep. She suddenly felt strong, warm arms around her, and she was lifted. When she opened her eyes, she was staring at the blushing face of Colt.  
  
"If you don't want to be alone, I'll take you with me." he said quietly. Ella E closed her eyes. She was leaning against his chest, and for some reason she felt warmer. The warmth from his body was helping drive away the cold. She felt him walking for a moment. She tried to avoid this. She wanted to sleep so the pain would go away. She wanted somewhere safe.  
  
"Take me home, Colt." she said softly.  
  
"What?"  
  
"I don't want all this trouble...I want to go home..." she said painfully. Colt looked down at her. She closed her eyes.  
  
"You can't. You wanted a Growlithe. You should get one."  
  
"I want to be safe..." she said softly.   
  
"Listen, you're delirous. I'll sit down."  
  
She felt him moving. She was leaning against his chest, his arms holding her tightly. She was getting warmer.  
  
"What happened to your chest..." she said as her cheek brushed the bandages. Colt took a while to respond.  
  
"It was ripped up by a Sandslash...a Pokémon owned by an enemy of mine..."  
  
"Enemy?"  
  
Colt sighed. "Might as well tell the whole story...A long time ago...I lived in a town...Our family was really poor...we could barely afford anything. My Mom and Dad were always sick...I never got that sick though...and Reimia and Tashi were twins that the rich couple owned. Anyway...Mom got really sick...and me and Dad couldn't pay for her medicine...so she died. Then Dad got sick the same way...I didn't want to lose both my parents...so...are you following this, Ella E?"  
  
Ella E felt half-asleep. She was feeling warm again, slowly. She nodded slowly.  
  
"I...I went to see if anyone would help me get money to make Dad better..." Colt said. "I thought maybe Reimia and Tashi could help me...but they laughed at me! They said that...that poor scum like my father didn't deserve to live...soon, Dad was dying...and he told me before he went that he would rather die then see me be reduced to having   
to beg for him."   
  
Ella E felt tinges of sadness, but she was still feeling numb. Her sickness was making her weak and helpless, and she didn't want to feel any feelings right now. Colt, regardless whether she said anything, continued.   
  
"I wandered everywhere, trying to get food...trying to live. Sounds dramatic, huh? I joined Team Rocket...so at least others could feel my pain. Then I saw that Reimia and Tashi   
joined too. And they were my partners, no less. Anyway..." Night was coming closer now...it was getting steadily more black and less red as the sun set.   
  
"Our first catch was the Growlithe..." At the word Ella E perked up. She looked around, but didn't see what he was talking about. She relaxed again.   
  
"We were supposed to turn it in...but I wanted it for myself. So I took it. They weren't happy with that. They kicked me out of Team Rocket...claimed if I couldn't obey orders, I wasn't needed. So I just pretend to be a Rocket...but actually I'm pretty much still am   
one...do you understand?" Colt looked down at her. Ella E felt sleepy.   
  
"Not really..." she mumbled. Colt sighed.  
  
"I don't want to do this anymore, Colt." Ella E said softly.   
  
"Huh?"   
  
"I want to go home...I don't want to deal with all these problems."   
  
"Your being a weakling."   
  
"Am not." Ella E said.   
  
"Yeah you are. You're running away from your problems. That's pretty sad."   
  
"No it's not...I just..."   
  
"You're a big wuss. I don't even know why I-" Colt said, smiling. Ella E hit his chest   
softly with a weak fist.   
  
"Stop it...your so mean! I'll show you...I'm gonna get my Growlithe and show you I'm not a weakling."   
  
"Yeah, Right." Colt said.   
  
"Sometimes I really hate you Colt..." Ella E said half-heartedly, yawning and finally falling asleep. Colt stared down at her and leaned back. He closed his eyes slowly and soon he was also asleep.   
  
~~~  
  
Something snapped.   
  
Instantly Colt was awake. He wanted to jump up and look around, but he remembered Ella E, who was still asleep. He looked around desperatly. It was pure dark...night really had descended this time. He saw some bushes rustling, but when he looked, others next to him rustled. Obviously, there were two people around him...he could tell.   
  
There was silence.   
  
"Who's there?" he asked.   
  
There was a long pause.   
  
"You can't protect her..." a soft voice said, sounding very close by. Colt was alert, but he couldn't tell who it belonged to. Ella E made a soft noise and moved a little. "She witnessed it...she must be disposed of." The voice seemed to be coming from in front of him now.   
  
Was it the same one? He couldn't tell. He wished that Ella E was somewhere else so he could move...but then again if she was somewhere else she'd probably be dead by now. Colt turned his thoughts instantly to Caleb. No doubt that little twerp was behind this.   
  
"Go away Caleb, you little midget. You aren't fooling me with your voices and tricks."   
Colt said angrily.   
  
"Caleb...ah yes, Caleb..." the voice said softly.   
  
"Stop lying Caleb, I'm not falling for it."   
  
"Look behind you, If you want." Colt looked from around the tree, and saw his three companions, lying inert by the dead fire. Evidently, it wasn't one of them who was talking to him.   
  
"If you're not Caleb, then you must really be the murderer that slaughtered all those people."   
  
"How long did it take you to figure that out...not very bright, are you?" the voice was whispery and almost amused, like the wind.   
  
"Well, you're not going to kill her. I won't let you."   
  
"There isn't a thing you can do about it." The voice said condescendingly. "Before, the Kabuto got in the way...but that won't happen this time." More rustling.   
  
Colt forced himself to move, putting his arms under Ella E's legs and arms and lifting. His chest was aching now...far too much exertion. He stood up anyway.   
  
"You aren't going to kill Ella E."   
  
"Why should you care? You can't save her. No one can...she's condemned to death...and orders must be followed."   
  
Colt turned and tried to run for the dead fire when the rustling came right near him. Swerving, he tried to run. The shape burst out near him, holding high a glimmering, shining blade.   
  
  
Chapter 44  
  
"Entrance"  
  
  
Even as the prospect of death stared him in the face, Colt couldn't scream. He wouldn't scream. Instead, he leaped backwards, trying to avoid the shadowy figure's slash towards him. Stumbling, he fell backwards roughly. Ella E whimpered in his arms, and he knew that he had to protect her, no matter what. Struggling back to his feet, he found the figure was close to him, close enough for a final blow.  
  
"NO!" a loud shout came from above him, and a dark shape fell from the tree onto the figure. It was too small to knock it down, so it clung tenaciously to it's back.  
  
"Caleb!" Colt gasped. The figure, annoyed at this pesky thing, grabbed Caleb's wrist and threw him roughly to the ground. The boy gasped as he hit the ground hard. Colt knew that this was his oppurtuinity. He had to get help...from the one thing that could help him. He ran for the fire.  
  
"No!" the shadowy voice cried. "This is YOUR FAULT!" the voice cried again. Caleb screamed in pain shortly, and Colt knew that the figure had taken Caleb instead of Ella E. Stifling any feelings, Colt kept running.   
  
"DRAK! DRAK!" he shouted. "DRAK, WAKE UP!"'  
  
He ran towards the two figures that layed inert. Drak slowly blinked and sat up.  
  
"What...wha? Colt...what's going on..."  
  
"Where's the Mewtwo, Drak? Where is it!?" Colt said urgently. He looked behind him, and saw the figure, standing over Caleb's body, the blood running down the knife. The shadowy figure shook it, scattering drops everywhere, then began purposefully striding towards him.  
  
"I don't know...it's around here...what's the problem?" Drak rubbed his eyes.  
  
"AROUND HERE? THAT'S NOT GOOD ENOUGH!" Colt shouted. He turned desperatly around, looking in all directions. The figure was coming closer.  
  
"MEWTWO! MEWTWO!" Colt cried, trying to keep standing. Drak was angry at being woken up.  
  
"Fine, I'll establish a link..." He said. Drak put his hands to his head and closed his eyes. They flickered, and lit with a bright blue light. Colt was stunned for a second, then looked at Monty.  
  
Monty was sleeping peacefully. In fact, he was snoring. Figures, Colt thought. He's so obnoxious about everything else. The bright blue light flashed in Monty's face, and he groaned and sat up.  
  
"What the..." Monty, who was a bit more alert then Drak, turned and saw the figure that was coming closer. "OH!" Monty cried shortly. He jumped behind Colt, who looked desperatly at Drak. He was mumbling something silently, his eyes glowing brightly.  
  
"Mewtwo is on it's way..." Drak said. "Now let me sleep..."  
  
"How long?" Colt asked.  
  
"I dunno...A few minutes or something..."  
  
"FASTER!"   
  
The sudden shout woke Drak up from the nap he was almost in. He grumbled.  
  
"Fine..." his eyes glew again, for a few seconds. Then the glow faded, and he could see the figure clearly. His eyes widened in fear. "Oh....oh...this is...this is why..."  
  
The figure stopped a few inches in front of Colt, the shining blade was held in front of it skillfully.  
  
"I've taken care of one annoyance...I shall take care of you in the same manner, if you do not give me the girl." the shadowy voice, quiet and whispery, chilled those who heard it. Ella E, her eyes open, only half-saw the figure. She more focused on what was behind him.  
  
"I won't let you kill her." Colt said defiantly. Drak stood next to him.  
  
"Neither will I."  
  
"Me too, I guess..." Monty said timidly. The figure raised the knife.  
  
"Then you all will die. This is totally futile."  
  
"Mew."  
  
The figure stopped, it's knife in mid-air.  
  
"No..it can't be...!" The figure turned in time to stare at icy-blue eyes, and then the familiar psychic power flowed over it, lifting it in the air. The Mewtwo, regardless of it's injured shoulder, quietly raised the killer in the air, levitating it slowly. Eclipse slept peacefully on the Mewtwo's head, not disturbed in the least.  
  
"That's good Mewtwo, keep it there. We want some answers." Colt said, feeling more confident that it was in control.  
  
"You won't get anything from me..." the figure said. "After all, it's only a Mewtwo...and it's only a Pokémon." it reached inside the dark cloak it wore, and took out a pungent plant.  
  
"Mewtwo, look out!" Drak cried. The Mewtwo looked at him for a split-second, and the figure dropped the leaves on the Mewtwo. The Mewtwo inhaled, and then got a strange look on it's face. It smiled dizzily and blushed. It's power fading, the figure was released and it took the oppurtunity to make it's escape.  
  
"Mewwwww...two!" The Mewtwo staggered around drunkenly, thoroughly enjoying itself. It sat down hard and stared into space, the ridiculous smile still on it's face. "Mew!"  
  
"Drak? Drak, what happened to-" Colt turned to look at his companion.  
  
Drak was laying on his back, an identical goofy smile on his face, pointing upwards.  
  
"Staaaars...whee!" he said, sounding drunk. "Stars!" then he looked at his hand. "Aren't fingers amazing? I mean...think about it..."  
  
"What's going on?" Monty said, frightened. Colt leaned down, shifting Ella E's weight so he could grab the leaves. He sniffed them.  
  
"I thought so..."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Pokénip."  
  
"What?" This time Monty's tone was unbelieving. Colt looked at it critically.  
  
"Sure enough. No doubt about it. I remember learning a lot about plants..."  
  
"You think YOU know about plants? Give me that!" Monty snatched the leaves from Colt, looking at them critically.  
  
"Yup. Pokénip."  
  
"Well, unfortunatly enough, I only know what it is. Not what it does." Colt stood back up painfully. Monty smiled, glad that he could enlighten someone.  
  
"Basically, what it does is cause a Pokémon to go a little..." Monty waved his finger near his head, "If you know what I mean. Since Drak and Mewtwo are connected..."  
  
"That means he's loopy now too, huh?"  
  
"You got it."   
  
"What do we do?" Colt felt slightly helpless, something he didn't like. Monty, glad to take charge of the situation, was always ready.  
  
"First of all, we should check Caleb."  
  
"I forgot about him!" Colt said. He remembered Caleb's pained scream as the knife tore through him. What if he really was dead? It would be his fault...  
  
"I'll watch Ella E. You go and pick him up...bring him back here." Monty said. Colt nodded and put Ella E down slowly. Monty sat nearby, watching her carefully. Drak giggled and waved his hands in circles, mimicked by the Mewtwo. Eclipse, confused by this behaviour, only looked quizzical.  
  
Colt walked back over to the tree slowly. He didn't trust the Asssassin's quick dissapearance, and he didn't trust this whole affair. He felt vulnerable...something he hated. Colt was careful as he walked to Caleb's body.  
  
What if he really was dead? It would be his fault...and I guess that proved that Caleb wasn't the murderer after all...Colt thought to himself. He leaned down, but it was too dark to see. Shrugging, Colt picked up Caleb, throwing him over one shoulder, and carried him back. Monty was sitting quietly when he returned.  
  
"Nothing happened, luckily enough." Monty said. "Except Drak started talking about pink Pikachus..."  
  
"Don't mind him, he's out of his head right now." Colt put down Caleb, and stirred up the embers of the fire, lighting the area slightly.  
  
"Oh...I think we're in luck!" Monty said as he examined Caleb. Colt continued tending the glowing embers.  
  
"What...was it a quick death?"  
  
"It wasn't a death at all!"  
  
"What?" Colt turned and looked. Sure enough, Caleb was alive and breathing. There was a huge slash from above his right eye down to his left cheek, bleeding heavily. But he was alive.  
  
"How..." Colt sputtered. Monty reached in his backpack and removed some bandages from his backpack. He carefully began unwrapping it, and applying the smaller ones to the cut.  
  
"How ironic...it's his shortness that saved him."  
  
"What?" This time Colt was the one who sounded disbelieving.  
  
"As much as Caleb hates to admit it, he's short. Short for a kid, even. So the killer, accustomed to people at LEAST as tall as Ella E, overcalculated. Instead of the neck, he got his face."  
  
"How lucky." Colt said, with evident distaste.  
  
"Don't tell me you STILL don't trust him? He saved your life!"  
  
"Indirectly." Colt said. He stared down at Caleb, who was unconcious.  
  
"Pikachu! Pikachu! I said Pikachu! Weird Bulbasaur constellations...Stars and Moons...like a humongous dancing Golbat!" Drak said deliriously. He was echoed by his Mewtwo, who now sounded less demonic and more mentally unstable. As Monty tended to Caleb, Colt leaned back, looking at the sleeping girl. Ella E had drifted off peacefully, no longer having to deal with the ordeal that was left in the real world. He replayed the events in his head.  
  
"You can't save her...look behind you if you want..." the whispery voice replayed in his mind. He remembered looking and seeing the three figures laying still. For all he knew at that time, they could have been dead. Could have...  
  
Colt's eyes widened as he thought of something. Three figures? He mentally counted them. There was him, Monty, Drak, Caleb, Ella E, Mewtwo...  
  
"Was Mewtwo sleeping here with you?" Colt asked Monty. Monty looked at him. He sounded more worried then usual.  
  
"No, I don't think so. Drak said it wanted some time alone. Said it wanted to take care of it's arm..."  
  
"When I looked back here...when that killer was talking to me....I saw three figures. But that couldn't be right...because Caleb was in the tree...Caleb jumped him..."  
  
"What are you saying?"  
  
"I think there was someone lying next to you that wasn't one of us!"  
  
Monty blinked.  
  
"So who could it of been then? Not a killer, that's for sure, or else we'd be dead."  
  
"Karp karp, Magikarp!" Drak said, flopping across the ground. The Mewtwo was flapping it's arms, and levitating itself. It looked as if it were imitating a Pidgey. Monty and Colt looked at the delirous pair.  
  
"Meanwhile, what do we do about THEM?"  
  
"You said you know about plants. So what counteracts Pokénip?"  
  
"Um..." Monty looked thoughtful as he wiped his hands absently on his shirt, leaving streaks of blood from where he had touched Caleb. "I don't think it grows here. From what I heard, the mushrooms from a Paras will cure them."  
  
"Paras' live in caves, right?"  
  
"Right."  
  
"So does the Manachu. How convenient!"  
  
Monty rolled his eyes as he pushed Caleb up.   
  
"I swear, you almost talk as if it were real. C'mon Caleb! Wake up time!" Monty held him up and shook him gently, but Caleb's bandaged face didn't respond. Colt smiled wickedly.  
  
"Let me try."  
  
Before Monty could respond, Colt shoved him out of the way, grabbing Caleb's shirt with his free hand. Then, Colt stuck Caleb a fierce blow across the face.  
  
"Hey! Wake up!"  
  
"Colt!" Monty said, but Colt ignored him. Colt continued slapping Caleb.  
  
"Wakey wakey, midget boy! Time to get up!"  
  
Slowly, Caleb began responding, whimpering with pain. Slowly, he became louder as he became more concious.  
  
"Ow! OW! Quit it!" Caleb said, now fully awake. Colt dealt another slap before he let go, and Caleb sat up, touching his face gingerly. He touched the bandages that ran down his face.  
  
"What happened?"  
  
"I tell you what happened!" Drak stumbled up, still blushing dizzily. "I sawed you run in circles around and around and you fell down! Ha ha ha!" Drak began laughing hysterically and collapsed. His Mewtwo fell next to him. Caleb stared uncomprehendingly.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Long story...can you walk?" Monty asked. Caleb felt his face gently, but nodded.  
  
"I think so."  
  
"Then we have to go in the cave tonight. We can't hesitate any longer."  
  
"Time for me to pick up the luggage." Colt smirked as he knelt and picked up the slumbering Ella E. Monty put a hand arond Caleb, and he slowly got up.  
  
"You can see okay and stuff?"  
  
"Yeah...a bit blurry..."  
  
"Hey Drak! Let's go!"  
  
Drak and his Mewtwo were lying unconcious after their rush. Colt ill-temperedly kicked Drak in the side, and he woke up with a yelp.  
  
"Hey!"  
  
"OW!" Drak cried, holding his side gingerly. Likewise, the Mewtwo beside him made a angry noise. Drak stumbled upwards. "What was that for?"  
  
"To wake you up, you loon. Are you still Pokénipped?"  
  
"Poké-what?"  
  
"Nevermind. Let's just go in the cave..."  
  
The Mewtwo leaned down and helped the Gencey onto it's head, smiling happily. Slowly, it joined the others who ventured gingerly into the heart of darkness in the mountain. They were watched by four silent pairs of eyes. 


	11. Encounter

Chapter 45  
  
"Journeying..."  
  
  
As they entered the pitch-black of the cave, Drak held his side angrily. What in the world was that for? Colt didn't have to kick him. That hurt. What was wrong with him?  
  
"We need some light..." Monty said softly.  
  
"I would take out the You-know-what, "Colt said, pointing at Ella E, "But I'm afraid she would go hysterical."  
  
"Anyone else got some fire Pokémon?"  
  
Drak looked at Caleb, or at least, where he thought Caleb was. It was so dark he couldn't see anything.  
  
"Caleb has the Charmeleon." the deep, demonic voice said in his head. He recognized it easily.  
  
"That's right, Mewtwo. Should we ask about it?" Drak sent back telepathically. He felt the Mewtwo's paw touch his shoulder.  
  
"Go ahead."  
  
"Drak, are you talking to the Mewtwo again?" the voice of Colt interrupted his thoughts.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Your eyes were glowing again. Quite brightly, actually." Monty said. Drak shrugged.  
  
"It merely suggested that we ask Caleb to use his Charmeleon."  
  
"That's right!" Caleb said, snapping his fingers. "I forgot about it! Go, Charmeleon!" he said, as he grabbed a Pokéball and threw it to the ground. It burst open, and the lizard looked around confused, as it's tail flame glew brightly. Finally with enough light, The others sighed.  
  
"Charrrr..." the Charmeleon said, sounding annoyed.  
  
"That was a good idea, Drak."  
  
"It was Mewtwo, really." Drak said. In actuality, it was both of them. Their mind were linked as one, and thus their thoughts were one. They were almost like one creature. To Drak, it was a comforting feeling. He was never alone, because Mewtwo's thoughts were always there in his head. They could be comforting or angry or anything. Plus, Mewtwo was a Pokémon he could really trust. They both held no secrets from one another. That was why they had such an advantage.  
  
"Hmmm...the paths split here..." Monty's voice broke him out of his thoughts, and Drak looked. The Charmeleon's flame showed the two paths clearly, one to the left and one to the right.  
  
"So what do we do?" Caleb asked. Colt looked.  
  
"One way or the other...either one is good."  
  
"GROOOOOONIX!" a loud roar shook the ground, startling all the members of the party. Drak shook some dust of himself.  
  
"Well, we should avoid the way with the Onix..."  
  
"I've got an idea!" Monty said. He reached down and picked up some sharp rocks. "We can Split up. Me, Colt, and Caleb will go left, and Drak, Ella E, and Mewtwo can go right."  
  
"Why is Ella E going with Drak?"  
  
"Cause I'm tired, that's why." Colt said, interrupting Caleb's question. "Me and Monty were talking about it while you were daydreaming about growing a few inches."  
Caleb turned an angry red, but didn't comment.Drak shrugged.  
  
"What happens if we don't find it?"  
  
"You're telepathic, aren't you? Get your Mewtwo to send a message."  
  
"This plan seems sound to me." the Mewtwo spoke in his head. "Let us continue." Drak nodded.  
  
"Okay. Can she walk?"  
  
"I think so..." Colt put Ella E down, and shook her gently.She woke with a soft groan.  
  
"Time to wake up, Ella E! You're going with Drak now..." Colt said cheerfully. Almost oblivious to her surrondings, the sick girl staggered over to Drak and grabbed his arm tenaciously.  
  
"Kabu!" Static said angrily. Drak, surprised at her willingness, didn't say anything.  
  
"My power is holding back the sickness that is infecting her." the comforting voice of his friend echoed around in his head. "She should be able to walk for a while. If not, I'm sure Mother can think of something."  
  
"I still think it's strange that you and that Gencey now are..."  
  
"I know what you think..." Mewtwo's ethereal voice wasn't angry, but more along the lines of sad. "But there's nothing that you can do. It's my mother...there's nothing to say."  
  
"I understand, I won't ask about it anymore."  
  
"Thank you."  
  
"It freaks me out when you talk with that Mewtwo of yours, Drak." Caleb said. Drak stared at him, his face lit by the leaping flames of his Charmeleon's tail. Drak noticed the light.  
  
"What are we going to do about light?"  
  
"Can't your Mewtwo glow blue?" Caleb said. He seemed uncomfortable with the idea of letting his Charmeleon go with them. Drak nodded. Monty held out the sharp stones to each of them, and they took them.  
  
"Make some marks on the walls occasionally. That way, we can find you if we're wrong, and you can find us."  
  
"Let's stop stalling and get moving." Colt said irritably. The three headed down the left path, and Drak watched their scant light fade away. He sighed.  
  
"Mewtwo, if you please..." he said with his mind. Slowly, his Mewtwo glew with the eerie blue light, giving enough illumination to see where they were going. They walked in silence, and he was constantly aware of Ella E clinging to him.  
  
"Where are we going..." Ella E said quietly.  
  
"We're going to the Manachu to get you better."  
  
"Where is it...."  
  
"We should find it soon." Drak kept focusing ahead. There were sharp rocks, and as he kicked one to his left, he heard it fall, clattering against the edge. Apparently, he was walking near an open cliff. He was well enough away from it though, so it wasn't a problem.  
  
Ella E, who had attached herself to his left arm, let go abruptly and walked by herself.  
  
"What is she doing?" the Mewtwo asked in his mind. Drak replied in kind.  
  
"I don't know. I think she wants to walk by herself."  
  
Drak's telepathic conversation was cut short as a short scream broke his thoughts. Instantly he seemed to know what happened. Ella E he fallen off the cliff.  
  
"ELLA E!" he shouted. "Mewtwo, you know what to do!" he shouted to his friend. He didn't see the Mewtwo's nod as he lept off the cliff-edge, hoping he had time.  
  
He flattened his arms against his body and tried to go as fast as possible. Soon he was accelerating quickly, and he passed the screaming girl. He grabbed her, and turned over, so his back was facing the floor.  
  
"Now Mewtwo!" he thought fiercly.  
  
"MEWWW!" the cry came from above. A thousand Zubats screeched angrily at Drak as the flash from his glowing eyes disturbed their rest, and they milled around aimlessly. Drak felt the power of his friend around him, and clenched his teeth. He could only hope that Mewtwo had enough time to slow him down.  
  
He heard the first agonizing crunch before he felt it, the sound of his back skidding against the gravely surface of the cliff. Drak clutched Ella E close in pain, and hissed. Likewise, he could feel the pain of his friend in his head, and the power intensified. Slowly, Drak slowed down until he was levitating in mid-air, safe. His Mewtwo floated down from above, levitating next to him. The Mewtwo closed it's eyes, and the two floated gently to the floor. Ella E looked at Drak in wonder as he staggered under her weight. He put her down.  
  
"Is my back bad?" Drak wheezed out, turning around.  
  
"Oh man...that's...ouch..." Ella E said softly. The Mewtwo was in similiar pain, and it looked at it's mother for help. Eclipse rubbed it's head softly and sang, and the Mewtwo felt better.  
  
"Where are we?" Ella E asked, looking around. There were glints of silver and gold in the darkness, along with a steady rumbling.There were the sounds of running paws, and the heavy passing of wind as if there was a huge beast breathing. Drak looked around.  
  
"I don't know..." he said. He re-established the psychic link. "Mewtwo, what are your thoughts?"  
  
The Mewtwo didn't respond. When Drak looked, it was caught in astonishment. Drak turned, and saw something that terrified him.  
  
Slowly materilaizing in the darkness were two giant slits, longer then he was, glowing a horrible blood-red. Slowly, the glow intensified, and the slits came closer. The Eyes stopped short of him, staring at him. Drak was petrified, and he was vaguely aware of Ella E burying her face in his shirt.  
  
"You were looking for me..." a terribly powerful voice shouted in his head. Although Drak was used to Telepathy, this frightened him. This voice was so loud, it shook his body, and the very tone of it horrified him. Unable to respond, he gaped. "I thought you were the telepathic one. I guess you aren't used to such a being as myself. Well, you did say you were searching for me. You found me. Now what are you going to do?"  
  
The eyes narrowed and stared at him, and Drak could feel the power of what was facing him invading his body, stealing his secrets, reading everything about him. Drak stumbled backwards into the paws of his Mewtwo, shocked and disturbed. He could tell by the unsteadiness of the Mewtwo's paws that it felt the same way.  
  
"Some light, if you please." the powerful thought seemed to echo around the room, and slowly, almost as if by magic, several torches around the room lit quickly in a row, lighting the room. Drak gasped in fear as he saw the entiriety of what spoke to him.  
  
The massive creature dwarfed him many times over, it's head that was lowered almost to the floor was now raised, staring at him with a sadistic smile, two huge fangs, longer then he was tall, protruding from the humongous mouth. The creature put down one of it's six paws, holding it out to him almost as if in greeting.  
  
"The Manachu has been found. And you haven't told me what you want." it spoke in his mind. Drak stared in horror. He had not been expecting this. He had not expected anything like this.  
  
"Drak!" he heard the voice of Colt cry. He turned and saw his friends enter through another gaping entrance into the cavern, and he heard the astonished cry from all of them. Monty sat down hard, as if he had been struck.   
  
"Where are my manners? For that matter, where are my helpers?" the powerful thought echoed through the room, and Drak was sure any human or Pokémon in the room could hear it clear enough.Colt ran towards his compatriots, dragging along the mumbling Monty. Caleb stumbled as he tried to keep up.  
  
"MANA!" the Manachu's powerful cry shook rocks from the ceiling, shaking the entire floor. Colt narrowly avoided being crushed by a rock. Finally, the group was together, and then, almost like flies, thousands upon thousands of flashing gold and silver wings fluttered out and around the Manachu, as if waiting for orders.  
  
"Gencey!" Eclipse said in joy, standing up. Several Gencey's broke from the glimmering herd, and flew to Eclipse. They grabbed Eclipse's paws and dragged it up, lifting it into the ranks. Eclipse looked ecstatic.  
  
"MEW!" the Mewtwo cried, reaching for it's mother. Eclipse was too far gone.  
  
"So you have returned a member of my flock. Is that what you wanted to do? Is that what you planned to exchange for me to save the girl's life?" the terrible voice invaded their minds again, and Caleb whimpered. Colt took it upon himself to speak.  
  
"We didn't want to bribe you. We need your protection and we need your help..." Colt stammered with a good praising word. "Manachu." he finished lamely.  
  
"I could smash you all right now, and not feel a qualm." the Manachu's terrible voice spoke to them, and they could not make it stop. One of the Manachu's six limbs reached over the group, as if selecting a member. Colt stood bravely, and Ella E remained with her head buried.  
  
"Ha, we found you Colt!" an angry voice said.  
  
"This time, you won't get away!" a second voice said. From yet another entrance came Reimia and Tashi with their Sandslash and Scyther's free. Reimia turned and screamed as he saw the humongous creature. Tashi was too busy.  
  
"Scyther, slash!" she cried. Reimia grabbed her and turned her around, and She clasped her brother in fear.  
  
"A scyther?" the Manachu's voice said, sounding amused. The Scyther in mid-strike looked up quizzicaly.  
  
"Attack that thing, Scyther! Get it!" Tashi shouted.   
  
"NO!" Ella E's group cried out, but it was too late. It's wings buzzing furiously, the Scyther flew towards the Manachu, it's blades held high.  
  
"I've never tasted Scyther." The powerful thought rang through the air, and one of the solid black paws lashed out at stunning speed, wrapping around the Scyther quickly before it could react.  
  
"SCYYY!" it shrieked. The Manachu grinned maliciously, extending fully-retractable claws, more then double the size of the poor Scyther.  
  
"First, let's take care of this little annoyance." the Manachu's claws descended surprisingly gently, and pierced it's wing. The Scyther screamed.  
  
"LEAVE MY SCYTHER ALONE!" Tashi shrieked, tears flying as she struggled against her brother who was trying to hold her back.  
  
"Don't Tashi! It'll kill you, just like it'll kill the Scyther!"  
  
"NO! NO! LET IT GO! SCYTHER IS MINE! IT'S MY FRIEND! DON'T HURT IT!" Tashi screamed hysterically. In response, the Manachu laughed, a evil-sounding, mocking laugh that chilled everyone around.  
  
"That makes it all the more fulfilling." The Manachu turned it's attention back to the Scyther, who squirmed helplessly. The Manachu, with a flick of it's paw, ripped off one of the Scyther's wings, causing it to scream in pain. It smiled sadistically, enjoying the torture before the kill.  
  
"NOOOO!" Tashi struggled, but her brother wouldn't let her go.  
  
The Scyther struggled bravely, and managed to get it's blades loose. It slashed helplessly at the paw that encircled it. Even as blood dripped down the fearsome paw, the Manachu's grip did not relent. The Manachu reached down delicately and pulled off the other wing, leaving the poor creature writhing.  
  
"Not nice." it telepathically shouted at the Scyther. "I so hate paper cuts. I think I'll get rid of your head, next. That'll stop those pathetic squirmings."  
  
The Scyther shrieked and tried to crawl away, but the Manachu only tightened it's grip. It took two claws and delicately put them around the Scyther's head.  
  
"It won't hurt...long."  
  
The Sycther closed it's eyes, as if anticipating the pain to come. Then...  
  
It didn't come.  
  
Everyone had been covering their eyes, but now they uncovered them. The Manachu had grabbed it's feet with one paw, and it's upper half with the other.  
  
"Then again, I'm so bored of that. Let's go with the normal rip."  
  
Without a pause, the Manachu pulled in both direction, ripping the Scyther brutally in half. It gave a strange, high-pitched mix between a scream and squeal, then the Scyther never spoke again.   
  
Likewise, Tashi gave a strange, strangled scream.  
  
The Manachu studied the two halves in it's paws, observing the various reactions of it's onlookers. It placed the two halves in one paw, and squeezed. The crimson life-blood ran between it's claws and down it's massive arm. The Manachu simply stuck out it's tongue and licked at it's arm. It looked down at Tashi.  
  
"I never thought I would taste Scyther's blood. Thank you."  
  
Tashi was so horrified and angry that she almost fainted in her brother's arms.  
  
The Manachu horrifyingly cleaned it's arm of the lingering remnants of the Scyther, then tossed the dried husks in it's gaping mouth with a crunch. It swallowed, and looked down. Tashi sobbed hysterically, half-shouting curses and meaningless words. The Manachu leaned down, looking quite relaxed. It's massive tail slammed down nearby, shutting off the exits on the right. Likewise, the second tail blocked the left. And the front was blocked by the Manachu's massive body.  
  
"Now that I've had a snack, let's talk." it's terrifying voice spoke to all the people and Pokémon. They shivered under it's gaze.  
  
  
Chapter 46  
  
"Coming to terms...not pleasant ones..."  
  
  
Tashi was too hysterical with grief to talk, and layed motionless in her brother's arms. He, likewise, was shocked by the callous killing he had just seen. Caleb sat down hard, looking queasy, while Monty still tried to find a way to rationalize this beings existence. Colt was shaken, but he still tried to keep his control.  
  
"We need your help...Ella E is being pursued by people who are after her life, they want to kill her..."  
  
"Yes, I know." the powerful, chilling voice spoke in everyone's mind. The Manachu's face smiled sadistically, revealing powerful, bloodstained fangs. "Why does this concern me?"  
  
"You are the one thing that can protect her against this menace-"  
  
"And why would I do that?"  
  
Colt thought hard. He realized that the Manachu, in his limited experience with the creature, had no conscience and would not be moved by any words of compassion of feeling. It did what it pleased, like it had no soul. How could he convince something like this to help him?  
  
Ella E walked forward, with a slight spark of her former energy. She looked up at the Pokémon's massive, deep black eyes, staring unblinking. The Kabuto on her arm was luckily asleep.  
  
"Do you....remember me?" she asked quietly.  
  
"Yes, I remember Ella E. And I already know why you are sick."  
  
"Will you help me?"  
  
"Not unless I get something in return."  
  
"You...MONSTER!" Reimia suddenly shouted, drawing the attention away from the massive Pokémon. The boy was furious, holding his prone sister. "How could you...How could you DO that to a..."  
  
"Killed a Scyther?"  
  
"It wasn't any Scyther! That was my sister's Scyther, the Scyther she raised as her first Pokémon! It saved her life too many times to count! They were such close friends, and you killed it as if it were nothing!" Reimia looked near tears, but fierce Rocket training had taken care of that emotion. Colt could relate.  
  
"I was hungry. It's near lunch."  
  
Colt would have almost found that funny if it weren't so serious. Colt sensed some of the floating, golden silver beings flying around him. He turned and noticed crowds of Clegencyana's studying him. He turned, then noticed that they weren't staring at him, the were staring at the Mewtwo.  
  
They were chattering too one another, talking loudly and angrily. Gencey's flew rapidly back and forth, as if not sure what they were doing. Through all of this, the Ranachu who had just came in tried to settle them down, but they were far too excited. Colt recognized the Gencey who had caused him to join with this ragtag group, the one who provoked him. Eclipse. With shreds of bandages hanging from it's wings, it flew slowly towards the Mewtwo, who stared. It looked both confused and sad. Eclipse flew to it and touched it's face lightly with a golden paw. Stricken with emotion, the Mewtwo snatched the Gencey from the air and embraced it fiercly, giving small, plantitive cries. Drak, standing next to Colt, suddenly was overcome with depression, and looked near tears. He sat down, buried his face in his paws, and breathed quickly, as if trying to control himself. He wouldn't look up. Colt turned his attention back to the argument.  
  
"HUNGRY?! I can't believe..." Reimia shook his tiny fist at the massive Pokémon, who smiled again. Reaching down with needle-like curved claws, it neatly pierced Reimia's shirt and lifted him up. Staring hard, the Manachu's eyes began to flow a soft yellow color, and Reimia screamed. Colt watched in horror as slowly, Reimia's left hand began to harden and turn grey. He realized it was becoming stone. Reimia screamed, more in terror then pain, then grabbed his hand. The Manachu gave a chilling, horrifying laugh then simply dropped him. Reimia screamed as the ground hurtled towards him, but found himself saved by the support of dozens of Clegencyana's, who let him down gently. Colt ran to his former enemy, who was in total shock.  
  
"Let me see!" he said. Reimia was near hysteria, barely able to comply. He gave his shaking hand to Colt. Sure enough, it was completly stone. Unmoving and unfeeling. Colt glared at the giant creature, who no longer looked quite as jovial.  
  
"Don't test my patience, little ones. You are nothing more then specks to me, as are your concerns and your problems. You're pests."  
  
Meanwhile, the Clegencyana's arguing was fierce, and they were circling the Mewtwo, looking suspicious. The Gencey's fluttered her and there, gathering more of the beautiful creatures. Eclipsed clutched her sons neck and refused to let go, and the Mewtwo did likewise. Suddenly, the ranks parted, and a strange Clegencyana flapped forward.  
  
This one had a tired look on it's face, and it's wings were unlike those of it's brethren, soft, feathery gold an silver. Instead, this one's wings were like a Zubat's, and it didn't look happy. It began a lengthy conversation with Eclipse, which Colt tried to ignore. Ella E was thinking.  
  
"What would you want in return?"  
  
The Manachu's attention was broken, and it turned back to the young girl, as if confused.  
  
"Are you willing to give me something of value to you?"  
  
Ella E wasn't THAT stupid. "It depends what it is."  
  
Monty was babbling to himself, some of the only words Colt picked out where "illusion" "fake" "unbelievable" and "a big hoax". Reimia was kneeling on the ground, holding his hand and trying to come to grips with what had just occured.  
  
"I demand some Pokémon."  
  
"Pokémon?" she asked. The Manachu nodded.  
  
"I need some...entertainment. In retrospect, I should have had more fun with the Scyther, but now I have nothing. I want..." the Manachu peered at her. "I want Boo, Facet, and Warp. Also..." the Manachu's eyes narrowed. "I want Beefff Pokémon O, GoGo...and...Eclipse."  
  
Ella E, aghast at this heacy price, could not respond. The Manachu turned it's gaze to the young Team Rocket member, who quavered.  
  
"From you I want your Growlithe and your Vulpix."  
  
Colt stepped back a few moments, but before he could reply, the Manachu had reached over surprisingly fast and tapped Monty roughly on the shoulder.  
  
"I want you Bellsprout, Tangela, Gloom, and Ivysaur."  
  
Monty looked up, but was still heavily in denial. He stood and also made as if to say something. The Manachu ignored his feeble protests and turned to Caleb.  
  
"I want the Charmeleon. Also, I want the Rattata, Pidgey, Nidoran, and Meowth."  
  
Caleb sat up, startled. Finally, it turned it's attention to Drak.  
  
"And from the Psychic..." The Manachu laughed. Drak was far too deep in throes of his Mewtwo's emotion to be listening. Annoyed at this lack of attention, the Mewtwo reached down and gripped Drak in it's iron paws, holding him tightly. Gasping, Drak was broken out of his spell of sorrow, and likewise his Mewtwo seemed to be in pain.  
  
"The one who prides himself on the most "Powerful" Pokémon. The Mewtwo."  
  
Drak couldn't say anything.  
  
"Mewtwo has been seen as one of the most powerful psychics, in fact, the most powerful Pokémon. Not anymore. Do you honestly think your Mewtwo could defeat me, even if it were in it's prime?"  
  
Drak looked down at his friend, then back. The Manachu gave a sinister smile.  
  
"If you're psychic, you know the abilities of a psychic link. Let's see how this goes."  
  
The Manachu's eyes glew a dark, evil red. And Drak gave a cry of surprise as he could feel the Manachu entering his mind in place of his friend. Colt was shocked when, instead of the bright, healthy blue he usually saw, when Drak opened his eyes they cast a dull, red light. Drak's face was frozen in an expression of horror.  
  
Spiraling down down down...down a black pit. Farther and farther into what felt like insanity.  
  
"Do you know what it's like?..." the Manachu's voice said to him. Drak felt like he was there and he wasn't, as if there was something important missing.  
  
"What are you?..." he managed to send telepathically, gaining some control. Instantly, he felt a dull, red haze wash over him, and he hit the ground. If it was ground. Standing, he found himself surronded by what felt like a mist, and when he looked at himself, he found the mist wasn't of water, but of blood. Terrified, he stumbled backwards, wiping at himself furiously, but to no avail.  
  
"You have no idea what power is, what power I have. I have everything, you have nothing. I will crush your mind, then your body, and you are helpless against me..." the Manachu's voice penetrated his being, and made Drak scream in fear. This place was hideous...and the strange thing was this was almost exactly the place Drak had envisioned as his ultimate nightmare. Frantic tears, driven by fear, slowly rolled down his face.  
  
"Tears are the refuge of the weak." the Manachu's contempt was plain. Suddenly, he felt something surrond him. The mist was forced away from him by a bright blue light, and he heard a familiar psychic voice say in his mind...  
  
"Leave my friend alone!"  
  
"Mewtwo!" Drak turned, and sure enough, a mental representation of his friend stood behind him, one deformed paw raised to create the shield that surrounded the pair now.  
  
"You DARE try and defy me?" the voice was angry and loud now. The Mewtwo blinked, and Drak could feel it regaining it's foothold in his mind. The Mewtwo held it's paws out and concentrated.  
  
"You are NOTHING!" the voice shouted, and the Mewtwo kneeled in pain, it's shield dropping. Drak leaned down and placed a hand around it's shoulders, and it winced. Suddenly, Drak found himself on the floor. Confused, he looked around, and saw the Manachu staring down at something that had drawn it's attention away from what it was doing.  
  
"Nya!" Nyashock said angrily, standing at a steady position. Drak felt the Mewtwo next to him, and felt it's calming presence in his mind. Then he felt an alarming number of feathery wings beating around him.  
  
"MANA!" the Manachu shouted aloud, shaking the walls with power. The Nyashock concentrated, and slowly electricity built around it's body, sparking and flashing brightly. In a brilliant bolt of electricity, the power struck the Manachu. It laughed as the sparks died away.  
  
"I'm part-electric, just as you are." it said mentally, and the Nyashock reeled in pain.  
  
"We can't give you what you asked!" Ella E shouted, trying to interrupt the ordeal. The Manachu turned around, as if remembering what it had originally been discussing.   
  
"Well then I'm afraid the poison shall take it's course and you shall die, one way or another."  
  
"You ask for too many Pokémon...we can't give that many up."  
  
"You can if you're dead..." a familiar whispery voice said behind Colt, and as he turned around, he saw the forms that had faced him that night outside. The dark form raised the familiar knife. 


	12. Inevitable

Chapter 47  
  
"Revelation"  
  
  
This couldn't be happening...Monty thought to himself. This can't be real. There's no way. The Manachu was a rumor, something created by someone with to much time. It couldn't be real. There was no way. What he had read online about it confirmed it. It was too powerful to actually exist. Too evil...he couldn't believe that something that evil and cruel could exist. He never believed it. He never COULD believe it. It couldn't be real. But the more he thought about it, what he had already read could of been the report from someone who had actually seen the Manachu and lived. It could of been real, but he had never believed it. It couldn't be real...  
  
But it was there. Sitting there in the middle of the room, staring down at the Nyashock, who stood bravely. It was sitting there, perfectly real. He felt it in his mind. He felt it around him. He could almost feel the evil enamanating from it.  
  
So the children were right...he thought to himself. The children he traveled with had believed in it and they were correct. He couldn't believe this.  
  
He forced himself to stand up, and tried to make his legs support him. Monty stared at the other things around him. The Gencey's and the Clegencyana's...more lies. Or so he thought. But something bothered him. There was something about this whole ordeal that seemed strange.  
  
Now he remembered...he remembered a small snippet from when he talked to Ella E back when he first met her.  
  
"Did you catch it?"  
  
This time Ella E burst out laughing.  
  
"Catch THAT? You MUST be joking! No one could catch that...that THING."  
  
"It's a Pokémon, isn't it?"  
  
Ella E hesitated. She had never thought of it as one. "Yeah, I guess."  
  
"So it should be able to be caught."  
  
"A Pokéball could never hold it."  
  
"Pokéballs can hold Snorlax's for goodness sakes! Surely they can catch the thing...if it exists, which it doesn't."  
  
Now he thought about his words. It did exist. He was wrong. But that wasn't the part that grabbed his attention. What grabbed his attention-  
  
He gave a surprised cry as someone shoved him, knocking him back to the floor. He looked up and saw a figure in black. He remembered what that meant to him, and scooted backwards quickly. The figure seemed to be ignoring him, instead making it's way directly for Colt, who didn't even notice it.  
  
"Colt!" Monty said, but it was too late. The Figure raised it's hand, and Colt turned in surprise. Monty tried to stand, but found his muscles wouldn't respond. Stress had robbed him of his energy, and his muscles felt too weak.  
  
Colt ducked under and sweeped his foot at the figure's feet. Monty mentally cheered, not wanting to draw attention to himself. He knew that Colt couldn't be taken for surprise. But unfortunatly, the figure also seemed ready and leaped out of the sweeps range.  
  
"Is this the killer you were talking about?" he heard the Manachu in his mind, even though it wasn't talking to him. He shook with fear at it's terrible voice. Suddenly, something bright white flew in front of him.  
  
"Cle?" it said, blinking it's big eyes. Monty was too surprised to speak as the Pokémon flew behind him and lifted him to his feet.  
  
"Thank you..." Monty said awkwardly as the beautiful creature smiled. He looked around as more of them flew around him. He couldn't believe this was happening. These weren't supposed to be real! They weren't supposed to be here, helping him to his feet! He was awash with confusion. More and more of the lovely creatures flew around him, putting their paws under his arms.  
  
"Thanks, I'm up..." he said.   
  
"Yana!" one said cheerfully. Suddenly, they began lifting him. Monty cried out in shock as he watched the ground pull away.  
  
"What are you doing?" he asked.  
  
"Cle! Gen!" they replied happily. Monty struggled half-heartedly. He was getting very high very fast, and the last thing he wanted was to fall. They carried him effortlessly, and Monty stared down at his fading friends.  
  
"I can't! Put me down! I need to help Ella E!" he said. Realizing what was happening, finally, Monty began struggling. He couldn't leave his friends down there by themselves.  
  
"Yana!" one of them sounded very angry, and tightened it's grip. Monty tried to pull away. Abruptly, they let his left arm go, and Monty screamed as he felt himself falling. Grabbing desperatly, he found himself grabbing something long and thin.  
  
"YANAAAAAA!" one of the Clegencyana's screamed in pain, and Monty realized he had grabbed it's tail. Instantly, the others came in and supported Monty, loosening the pressure on the poor creature's tail. He let go and watched the injured one fly away, weeping. Monty felt a very strong pang of guilt.  
  
But he couldn't let it last. He again struggled, pulling hard. The Clegencyana's, apparently frustrated with their struggling captive, simply let go. Monty felt his base of support dissapear, and felt himself really falling this time. He screamed.  
  
Monty had a futile hope that Drak's Mewtwo would come to his rescue, but he knew it was busy protecting Drak from the Manachu. He wasn't sure if anything could really save him.  
  
Suddenly, he was struck by a brilliant idea. He grabbed his Pokéball.   
  
"Ivysaur-" he started, lifting his hand. Then he felt his muscles loosen, and the ball simply fell from his grasp onto the ground. He looked, and saw his hand glowing the same sick red color as Drak's eyes. That was before he felt his mind's grasp slip away from him, and a terrifyingly evil presence in his mind.  
  
"Don't move." he heard the voice say. It was the Manachu...in his mind. This time, however, it felt much more personal. He realized that the control of his body was no longer his. The Manachu was in control.  
  
"Listen to my words." the chilling evil voice said in his mind. When he tried to see, all he saw was the blood red that seemed to associate itself with the Pokémon. "You will do and say exactly what I tell you to. Do it and you will not die."  
  
Monty couldn't speak his breath taken away by the severe coldness that now swept over his body. He couldn't nod. He couldn't speak. All he could do was think, and even now that ability was mildly out of his control. He tried to think the concept of yes, but it was too abstract.  
  
"I guess that pathetic attempt at communication will have to suffice. I'd much rather talk to the psychic...he seems to know what to do."  
  
Suddenly, Monty could see again, and he was laying on his back on the ground. Confused, he stood unsteadily, looking around. Did that really happen? He wasn't sure.   
  
He remembered Ella E.  
  
Turning swiftly, he saw that the figure had Colt pinned, the knife at his throat. Despite the distance, Monty could hear them perfectly. Monty could feel the presence in the back of his mind. That must of been what enhanced his hearing.  
  
"You have been a thorn in my side for too long. Now you die." he could hear the figure say. Colt, even now, didn't look frightened. Monty was impressed by his bravery.   
  
"Run and jump at the attacker. NOW!" the voice in his head said suddenly. Frightened and startled, Monty unthinkingly obeyed the command. Monty ran. His frail slim frame wouldn't help, he was sure of it. But the sheer authority and power behind the words forced him to obey the command. He leapt at the figure, who looked at him in surprise, their face shrouded in black. Monty closed his eyes in fear, and felt himself connect bodily with the attacker, knocking him a few feet. Monty rolled on the ground and suddenly again felt the coldness. His body instantly lept to it's feet, and Monty couldn't understand what was happening. He felt the coldness again, and finally understood. The Manachu was helping him. Monty turned, and the figure was already on it's feet, running straight for him. Monty was naturally overcome with fear, and he closed his eyes as he again felt death near.  
  
"Duck!" the voice shouted. Frightened by what was happening outside and inside his mind, Monty simply obeyed. The Figure hit his crouched form and flew off balance.  
  
"Reach up and grab the cloak!"   
  
Monty did so, and he felt his hand connect with the thick black fabric. Unthinkingly, he grabbed the fabric as he felt the figure pass over him.  
  
Monty, frightened out of his mind, stumbled to his feet and stared in surprise at the black cloak that hung from his hands. Looking up, he could finally see the figure's face.  
  
She had white hair.  
  
  
Chapter 48  
  
"What's a HUMAN? A miserable little pile of secrets!" -Dracula, "Castlevania: Symphony of The Night"  
  
  
Caleb was slightly detached from everything that was happening. While Drak held his own against the flock of Genceys, Monty was carried away, Colt fought with the figure, and Ella E stared at the Manachu's eyes, he sat on the floor. He felt sick and weak. This whole affair was too much for him. He cursed his own weakness. He couldn't understand. This whole thing...it was too much.  
Caleb stood up, trying to make his brain think. First of all, he had to help Colt, as much as he hated it. Because if Colt couldn't defeat the figure, then it would move on and kill Ella E. He reached to his belt weakly for a Pokéball, and held it above his head.  
  
Gasping, he dropped the Pokéball. Faster then the eye could see, Monty dashed in front of him. Monty was glowing a eerie red, and his eyes were brightly flashing. Caleb almost screamed and fell backwards. He could tell his friend wasn't his friend anymore. Monty wasn't himself. He was possessed.  
  
Horrified, Caleb had a chilling idea. "Monty is not in his right mind", a cold, logical voice said in the back of his head. "You must stop him before he hurts us. Kill him."  
  
Caleb was shocked and frightened at himself. Regardless of his qualms, he found himself throwing the Pokéball.  
  
"Charmeleon, attack!" Caleb heard himself shout. Caleb couldn't believe what he was doing. Monty was so quick it was hard to believe he was human. No...he wasn't human. Not anymore. The evil creature had taken control of him...  
  
Monty slammed into the figure, knocking them away. Caleb watched Monty, still in disbelief. Monty was frail and slim. He hardly had enough power to knock someone down. But the red energy that fluxed and flowed around him was evidently giving him power. He rolled to his feet in a fluid movement, grabbing the strangers cloak as they rolled over him. Finally their assaulter stood revealed. Caleb stared. This was the person who had caused them so much trouble. This was the person who had done everything...from the killing of innumerable Pokémon trainers in Vermillion Pokécenter to the repeated attempts on Ella E's life. Caleb felt his hand come for his face and trace over the bandages that went across it. He felt anger through his tiny frame.  
  
"How DARE you!" he shouted at the figure. She turned towards him. Caleb ran towards her, snarling in a almost animalistic way that startled himself. She simply turned and dodged, avoiding the attack easily. Caleb turned and glared. Ella E broke off her staring match with the Manachu and stared at her assailant.  
  
"But...why? Why?" she asked. "Why would you do such a thing?"  
  
"Why? You ask why? You should know. You follow the philosophy yourself. Always take advantage of a opening, Ella E." Kame glared at her. "The Vermillion Pokécenter was a opening."  
  
From behind them, there was a slight choking noise, and another silver-haired girl stepped out, her violet eyes shining with fright.  
  
"Ashstar!" Ella E said angrily, regardless of her weakness. "I KNEW it was YOU behind all of this!"  
  
"Ella E....please...you don't...understand..." Ashstar's voice sounded as if there was pressure on it.  
  
"You hated Pokémon...of course you would of killed all those poor creatures in the Pokécenter!"  
  
"I don't hate Pokémon!" Ashstar said weakly. "I would never hurt anything living-" Ashstar made a half-choked noise of fear and stopped talking. Ella E looked very angry, something Caleb only saw rarely.  
  
"What's wrong, Ashstar? Finish your statement! You'd never hurt anything living as long as it was anything but YOU! Is THAT what you wanted to say? Why aren't you finishing your sentences..." Ella E had hatred in her voice. Caleb glanced at the Manachu and found it looking, for once, slightly puzzled.  
  
"This is what caused you so many problems? These three humans?" the Manachu's terrible voice said. Kame and Ashstar winced at it's voice, which sounded slightly dissapointed.  
  
"I'm afraid she isn't finishing them because I happen to have a knife at her neck." a male voice said. "It's hard to speak in that position...you should know, Colt."   
  
Sure enough, when Caleb looked there was a tell-tale glimmer of metal near Ashstar's neck. He remembered Ella E telling him about her, how she was a terrible person that hurt Pokémon and lied to her and took his Charmander. However, Caleb found that she looked rather innocent and nice. He privately wondered if Ella E was exaggerating or over-reacting.  
  
"Is this another one of your acts, Ashstar? Another farce intended to deceive me? Having a team-mate hold you "hostage"?" Ella E walked slowly towards the figures, limping slightly as she felt the poison begin running. The Mewtwo looked distracted, trying to keep Eclipse from the grasping paws of it's flock. Caleb ran over to her, concerned, but she waved him away.  
  
"I assure you, she isn't our team-mate." the male voice said again. "She was an informant. She was able to make amazingly accurate guesses about your behavior...that's how me and Kame tracked you. You are quite predictable, you know."  
  
"Stop hiding, whoever that is. Your two co-horts have revealed themselves...why keep yourself in the shadows..." Colt said, staggering awkwardly to his feet. Caleb couldn't help but suppress a pang of anger that ran through him. Even now Colt was acting all high and mighty. It made Caleb angrier.  
  
"I don't think you would know me, but I might as well. I have nothing to hide."  
  
Slowly, a faint glimmer came from the shadows, and Ashstar staggered forward, pushed from behind. Behind her, the malevolent face of Max looked out.  
  
"Max?" Ella E sounded shocked. Caleb thought back, and finally remembered. Max was the leader of the Cerulean Gym...a nice enough boy, if a bit distant and odd. He also was obsessed over someone...what was her name...  
  
Max was smirking, looking pleased. He easily had Ashstar's arm pinned behind her, and he was easily in a position to kill her.  
  
"Why YOU, Max?" Ella E was astounded. She hadn't expected this. Max had been friendly to her...  
Suddenly Caleb remembered her name.  
  
"Max...what about Conkista?"  
  
Max narrowed his eyes. Ashstar gave a scared choked noise as the knife pressed tighter.  
  
"That is another reason why we did this. It was the only way to get what we wanted." Max said, his voice no longer airy and mocking, but angry and forced.  
  
"Conkista had nothing to do with the Vermillion Gym!" Ella E said, feeling her face flushing. She tried to stand, and Caleb wondered whether she needed support.  
  
"Conkista trained Rock Pokémon..." Max said slowly, emphasizing the word "rock" by pressing the knife to Ashstar's neck and making her squeak. "She hated the Vermillion Gym. If I could get rid of it and all the Pokémon there for her, then she would love me for it."  
  
"You're wrong. Conkista would want no such thing!" Ella E said desperatly. Caleb could see the fear on her face, and marveled. He had only seen that expression a few times. He edged closer.  
  
"You don't know ANYTHING about her!" Max said furiously, holding Ashstar tighter. "How long have you known her? I've known her for most of my life. You knew her for a few moments. I know she would be proud of me. I know she would."  
  
"That's so wrong, Max...what are you thinking...." Ella E said softly.  
  
"Shut up! I don't need orders from a girl." Max said contemptously. Ella E glared at him. She turned her gaze to the long-haired girl standing in the middle of the room, holding her knife at ready.  
  
"Kame...do YOU have another reason?" Ella E said. Caleb tried to remember Kame...Kame and her sister...what was her name? Kotake, that's it. They were an odd battle...  
  
"Red." Kame said angrily. "You know him, don't you?"  
  
"Yes. He's a friend of my cousins..." Ella E said. Kame narrowed her eyes, and smiled in a strange way.  
  
"Red would never notice me if I stayed a nobody gym-trainer. You didn't even know I was Gym Trainer. How would he know? I want him to know I exist. I'm his number one fan, you know..."  
  
Ella E had heard similiar statements from other girls who had found themselves devoted to the most famous boy at the period.  
  
"If I ever want a chance with him, I'm going to have to get his attention and keep it. Whether that means a murder spree or killing his friend's cousin, I don't care. Red will be mine."  
  
Caleb looked back and forth between Ella E and Kame. Ella E was staring deep into Kame's eyes.  
  
"You're both insane." she said slowly. They looked back at her.  
  
"If anything, that's what we are farthest from." Max said.  
  
"And now, we'll kill you and your friends, and no one will ever know. Ever." Kame moved forward determinedly. Ella E stepped back, slightly frightened. Caleb felt something rising within him, and he ran towards her. But before he could reach her, Colt was in front of her, his arms raised in a defensive position. Ella E stared at him as he panted, trying to ignore the pain from the various injuries he had obtained.  
  
"If you're going to kill her, you'll have to kill me first." he said deliberatly. Kame regarded this carefully and studyingly, like a scientist in a laboratory and not a serial killer in a underground cavern. Slowly, Drak walked next to Colt, waiting, and was joined by Monty on Colt's other side. They all looked ready.  
  
"Why do you constantly risk your life for this girl? She's of no consequence to you. She is not related to you. She has no connections to you, like your friends over there." Kame pointed to Reimia and Tashi. They were huddled against a rock, both of them looking utterly terrified, Reimia holding his stone arm. Caleb chanced a look up at the Manachu, and found it studying this with rapt fascination. "You are a fool to throw away your life like this. We can easily kill you. Why?"  
  
Caleb now stood behind Ella E. He lifted her to her feet, as she had tripped and fallen. It took some strength, but she was up. Colt panted for a few moments, looking very tense. Kame stood, awaiting an answer. Colt clenched his teeth, looking furious.  
  
"Because I love her." he said very slowly. When Caleb looked down at her, Ella E had a amazing expression of surprise. Drak looked at Colt.  
  
"You?...But...I...I thought..." Drak stammered for a moment, something uncommon for him. "I...I love her!"  
  
"You do? I thought I..." Monty looked just as confused. "I thought I was the only..."  
  
Monty didn't need to finish. The Three exchanged glances and then nodded. They stood ready.  
  
"We won't let you hurt her." Colt said.  
  
"We love this girl with our lives..." Drak's eyes glew a faint blue.  
  
"We won't allow harm to come to her." Monty nodded.  
  
Caleb could finally feel the courage he needed come into his frame. This admission, even though it was in direct confrontation with his, helped him come to terms. Caleb walked next to Colt, looking small and weak next to him. He couldn't hide his feelings anymore...he had to reveal it.  
  
"I may be shorter and weaker then Colt, and I may not have a Mewtwo like Drak or be as old as Monty, but I care just as much. I won't let you touch her!" Caleb said, for the first time looking confident. He felt confident. He felt light, like a burden had been lifted off of him. How long had it been since he had kept this secret to himself? Longer then he could remember...Ella E had been enshrined in his heart, kept under lock and key. But now...it was free.  
  
He looked back at Ella E, who was sitting with a look of utter confusion.  
  
"WHAT?!" she shouted piercingly. She stared at the four boys in front of her, all willing to give their lives. For HER.  
  
"Regardless of how many of you there are, it won't help you!" Kame said contemptously. She gestured to Max. "You're injured and you're weak. All you will do is prolong her death."  
  
Max nodded, and then swiftly slammed the handle of the knife he held into Ashstar's head. She gave a soft cry, then fell silent to the ground, a trickle of blood forming on her forehead. Max, leaving her body on the ground, walked forward, standing next to his compatriot. They stood on their toes, their bodies tensed.  
  
Ella E could feel a huge paw scoot her backwards, and looked up. It was the Manachu. It slowly dragged her back, well away from the conflict.  
  
"Why?" she thought up to it. It looked down, a smile on it's evil features.  
  
"This is far more interesting then snacking, don't you think? I haven't seen anything like this before...this should be interesting."  
  
The Manachu raised another arm, and snapped it's claws. Instantly, the Clegencyana's and Gencey's flew into a formation around it's head, saluted, then flew off into the various holes they had in the sides of the cavern. Eclipse remained in front of the Manachu, caught by its terrible gaze. They exhanged glances, and Eclipse dove for the ground, calling out in joy to her son. The Mewtwo, who was puzzled by the sudden dissapearance of it's antagonists, looked up joyfully. It cuddled it's mother, then let it go into the air. Then it clenched it's paws, and let the blue energy flow. It glared at Kame and Max. Drak's eyes were glowing Bright Blue, energy flowing within him. Colt stood ready, balancing on legs that had years of training in the Rocket training grounds. Monty, emboldened by his experience with the Manachu's control, held his hands out, as if waiting to intercept. And Caleb, the shortest of them all, clenched his fists and glared.  
  
Kame and Max glared back. Kame raised her knife and licked the edge, and slowly she and Max moved in towards their prey.  
  
  
Chapter 49  
  
'Theirs was not to reason why...theirs was just to do and die..'-Alfred Tennyson, "The Charge of The Light Brigade"  
  
  
The white-haired girl and the boy with glasses faced off against the four. Kame and Max against Colt, Caleb, Drak, and Monty. It would almost seem unfair if the pair that stood alone weren't armed with the deadly knives. Behind them stood the center of their conflict, the cause of the battle and also the prize to the victor. The stocky, shivering, pale girl with the blond-brown hair and green-blue eyes who sat on the floor, unable to take her eyes off the horrific spectacle about to occur.  
  
Mewtwo was far too distracted to actually focus on the battle in progress. It's mother clung to it, it could feel her trembling.  
  
"Don't let them take me back...I want to stay with you, my son...I don't want to be another nameless Gencey in the flock..." the Mewtwo could hear it's mother saying softly. It nodded. It could hear Drak in it's mind asking for power.   
  
"Give me two minutes." he thought back, then he focused again. The Clegencyana in front of him, the one with the big, Zubat-like wings, had came back out and still stared at the pair.   
  
"Why are you back?" the Mewtwo thought powerfully to the Clegencyana. It's wings flapped slowly, giving the effect of it floating. It stared at them with it's half-closed eyes giving the look of it being very bored.  
  
"Eclipse must come back with us. You experienced the side-effects of her not knowing what she is doing. She must be taken back and told what she can do. She must take her place and learn. We even took one of your party hostage and she still won't submit. She must forget this experience and learn to understand what she has done so terribly wrong."  
  
"What did I do wrong?!" Eclipse cried out in emotional pain. The Mewtwo could feel small, almost crystal-like tears falling from it's mother's eyes on it's shoulder.  
  
"You've done this...creature a terrible injustice. You've decieved it far beyond normal methods." the Clegencyana said. It sounded so emotionless.  
  
"It's my son!" Eclipse said tearfully. The Mewtwo put a paw on it's forehead, much like it's mother did to so many times. It lingered on the word son, thinking. It had never thought of it having a gender or a mother...it was a thing. But since Eclipse seemed to believe it was her SON...  
  
"It's a Mewtwo." the Clegencyana said. "The one Pokémon least LIKELY to have a biological mother. It's mother was a Test-tube."  
  
The Mewtwo could feel the white-hot rage suddenly flare within him...he felt ANGRY. Usage of the word He made it feel more like this Pokémon in front of him was responsible for trying to break the precious bond he had just so recently gotten. The Mewtwo felt power surging over him. A Test-tube...he clenched his paws. Pure Fury was making his power ebb and flow around him.  
  
"SILENCE!" the Mewtwo shouted mentally, shocking the combatants nearby. A blue lance of power flew towards the Clegencyana, who dodged to one side. Suddenly, the Mewtwo could feel a new presence in his body. A new type of power. He looked at his mother, and noticed her eyes closed.  
  
"You know it, my son. You can feel it! The power..." she said slowly. The Mewtwo nodded.  
  
"Yes...We are of one blood, and no one can ever break that bond!" it said angrily. The two of them focused their eyes on the Clegencyana in front of them, who looked surprised.   
  
"What are you doing...?" it stammered. The Mewtwo and Gencey's eyes flew open at the same moment, and were both glowing blue.  
  
"BLOOD VORTEX!" they both shouted, and the power they had both been feeling suddenly surged out. The Clegencyana screamed piercingly as the swirling blue, gold, and silver power flew from their bodies and around the creature. It enveloped the Clegencyana, cutting off it's cries. The Mewtwo and Gencey kept shouting, no longer words but just sound, sound to help release the strain of this power. When they could no longer keep their attack up, the swirling vortex faded away, and the Mewtwo slumped to the ground, followed by it's mother. It gave a cry as a stab of pain went through it's wounded shoulder. Another cry as a cut appeared above it's eyes. The Mewtwo felt so exhausted it couldn't move. But it knew that if it got injuries from no where...that meant...  
Drak!  
  
Eclipse looked up at where the Clegencyana once was, but all that was left was a tuft of white and silver fur and a tarnished ring of light, which had once decorated the head of the Clegencyana, now lied on the ground, flickering as it's light went out. The Mewtwo looked up.  
  
"Mewtwo!" the urgent voice in his head said. Mewtwo could sense the pain. it concentrated, and instantly a shield generated around his friends body. He looked and saw Kame's knife strike the shield, bouncing off with a flash of sparks. Drak was injured, and looked grateful for the help.  
  
"Eclipse!" a familiar voice said. The Mewtwo's mother looked up to see the Nyashock running for her. "Eclipse, what do we do?"  
  
~~~  
  
Although it had originally seemed like they had had the advantage, they were sorely wrong. Colt looked at his companions, all in bad shape. Luckily Drak had his shield. The battle had been vicious, but Colt noticed that Kame and Max focused their attacks on him, obviously viewing him as the biggest threat. Kame, annoyed at Drak's imperviousness, turned to see Caleb leaping at her. The girl ducked easily, but Caleb wasn't trying to knock her down. He jumped on her back and wrapped his arms around her neck.  
  
"I remember you!" Kame said angrily. "You obviously haven't LEARNED!" At the last word, Kame grabbed Caleb's arms and flipped him over her easily, slamming him to the ground. Caleb made a startled cry, but struggled to his feet.  
  
"Last time you got away because you were so short, little one." Kame said condescendingly, "but I've learned something, unlike you. I won't make that mistake again!"  
  
Colt could tell this was the wrong thing to say. Caleb grew furious. He ducked and charged at the girl.  
  
"I am NOT LITTLE!"  
  
A flash near Colt helped him remember what he was doing. He ducked, and watched Max's strike go over him. Sweeping at him, he watched dismayed as Max jumped over it. Max was surprisingly nimble for such a ungainly looking kid.  
  
Using Colt's position to his advantage, as soon as he landed Max kicked Colt in the face vicously, causing him to fly back against a stalactite. Colt hissed between his teeth, as he usually did, and tried to get up. He found Max's foot on his chest.  
  
"Don't get up...I'm going to finish you off like I should have a long time ago!" Max said. Colt glared at him hatefully, and watched Max raise his arm for the final blow.  
  
Suddenly, something slammed into him from behind, knocking him a few feet. Colt found himself staring at the Rock fist of Reimia.  
  
"Reimia!" Colt said in surprise.  
  
"Mind your business!" Reimia said, sounding distracted. Colt tried to lever himself up, but found he couldn't move. The strength had been knocked out of him. He could only watch. He could feel blood running down his chin.   
  
Max had recovered quickly, and charged at Reimia. Colt remembered training back with him. He never was good with reflexes.  
  
One swipe, two swipes...Reimia could barely dodge the strikes. Max used his misses to his advantage, using his weight to swing the knife for another blow. Reimia was hard pressed.  
  
"You'll die for hitting me!" Max hissed. "I'll give your arm to Conkista as a trophy!"  
  
Reimia slipped on a small rock, and Max made his move. Soon Reimia was laying next to Colt, his chest slashed deeply. Colt slapped his face weakly.  
  
"C'mon, Reimia! Wake up!"  
  
Reimia was unconcious. Colt heard a shrill cry, and remembered that as the noise Tashi used when she attacked, a noise that usually drove him crazy. But not now.  
  
Tashi shrieked as she ran at Max. Max turned, surprised, and ducked. Caught by surprise, Tashi tripped over him and landed on his back, where it was childs-play to flip Tashi into a nearby column. She slumped down next to her brother, unconcious. Colt sighed. They never were known for their physical prowess.  
  
Colt wondered if Max would turn his attention back to him, but luckily a cry from Kame drew his attention. He watched.  
  
Kame was having trouble with Drak. The shielding he got from the Mewtwo was preventing the knife-blows from striking him, and he was using this to his advantage. Kame shouted and pointed at the Mewtwo, and Max nodded. Colt looked at the Mewtwo, and it's eyes were closed in concentration, blue flowing around it's body like it did to Drak's. Aiming swiftly, Max threw the knife.   
  
Luckily for the Mewtwo, Eclipse's eyes were open.  
  
"GEN!" it cried suddenly, holding it's paws forward. Something like a wall of air pushed at the knife, but it wasn't enough. Eclipse didn't have the time or power to construct it properly. The Knife swerved downwards, but not enough. It imbedded itself in the Mewtwo's thigh.  
  
"MEW!" it screamed in pain. The Knife was down to it's handle, and the Mewtwo fell quickly, to the cries of terror of it's mother. The Nyashock was freaking out.  
  
Drak suddenly screamed and grabbed his leg, and the blue shield that protected him dissapeared in a flash. Drak slumped to the ground, and Kame used that to her advantage. She struck at Drak, who could just muster enough energy to move slightly out of the way. The knife grazed his neck, causing a thin line of blood, and Drak fell backwards, wincing and closing his eyes in pain. Colt could tell he was trying to pretend to be dead so Kame would leave him alone. Colt looked and saw Caleb.  
  
Caleb was wincing, holding his chest and breathing hard. He leaned against a pillar for support. Colt tried to make a logical guess as to what happened. No doubt Kame had been hit, but probably hit him in the ribcage with her knife. Colt mentally wondered if some of Caleb's ribs were broken. Even if they were, they werne't stopping Caleb. Colt wondered in amazement, and tried again to move. He couldn't. Not only did it seem like he was paralyzed, but Tashi had fallen right across him.  
  
Caleb held his chest painfully, and stood up, glaring hatefully at Kame. Max, who was now weaponless, was seizing up Monty. The two of them circled eachother slowly, studying eachother.  
  
"Not so good without your weapon, hmm?" Monty said, trying to get a condescending tone. Max leaned down quickly and picked up a rock.  
  
"You can find weapons anywhere." he said slowly. Monty, unsure, leaned down to pick up his own rock. Colt mentally screamed at Monty not to leave himself open, but found only a squeak coming from his wounded and weakened throat. Just as he predicted, Max leaped at the bent-down Monty, raising his rock in attack. Monty made a startled noise. Colt was shaken by the fact that if he were in Max's position, he would have just taken advantage of that weak-point, that moment where they had no defenses.  
  
Colt turned from the scream of Monty, closing his eyes. This shouldn't of happened... this shouldn't have! They were failing Ella E...she was going to die...and he couldn't even move to try and protect her!  
  
Caleb gave a angry shout and ran at Kame, regardless of his hurt chest. Kame waited, looking frightened, then dashed to the left quickly. Colt winced at Caleb's stupidity...it was one of the old maneuvers almost anyone knew. Kame struck down with her knife handle at Caleb's unprotected back, sending him sprawling with a cry of pain. Colt looked at the two murderers, killers through and through. Colt shivered. These were real members of Team Rocket...and they didn't even belong to it.  
  
Max rubbed at his face where one of Monty's tiny rocks he was picking up frantically struck him. Max advanced on the boy, causing him to scoot backwards fearfully, searching desperatly for bigger rocks.  
  
Kame easily struck him on the forehead with her knife-handle again, and Monty fell backwards.  
  
"No need to kill them yet..." Max said, sounding disgusted and furious. "We can do that afterwords. We're here to kill the girl."  
  
Kame nodded. Colt looked, and saw Drak, Monty, and Caleb's half-open and swollen eyes staring at Ella E, who huddled in a terrified ball near the Manachu's humongous chest, watching the two who had killed so many come towards her. Colt could hear the Manachu's voice in his head.  
  
"Sloppy...very sloppy. I expected more. Well...all things come to an end I suppose."  
Ella E screamed. 


	13. Growlissa

Chapter 50  
  
"Growlissa"  
  
  
Ella E screamed. Not because she was injured or the killers had reached her, but because she was experiencing a disturbing and uncommon feeling she didn't usually feel. Fear.  
  
Ella E was overcome with a wash of hopelessness and sadness as she stared at the faces of two who she had once thought would someday be her friends. Kame and Max. They held their weapons, ready to take their life in one authorative stroke, just as they had the many others they had hurt in this spree. How could she, one girl, take on these two killers? These two who were experienced in spilling blood and ending lives? She couldn't...she was going to die in this dark place, not among her friends, but in the horrific shadow of something so evil she could feel it penetrating her soul behind her.  
  
Wait...she was not without friends. She could see the four who had accompanied her for so long, taken her sick and ailing body great distances to get her the help that was so rudely denied. These four boys, each laying helpless on the ground, bleeding. Dying. They had done everything they could have done for her. They knew they couldn't of fought, but did so anyway. Because they loved her. She had never realized it, but the signs were so obvious. They loved her, and now she was about to die. She was letting them down.  
  
Ella E was not one to give up very easily.  
  
Ella E could feel something rising within her. The clinging sadness and hopelessness that pervaded her soul was fleeing as if something were chasing it. Ella E could feel the strong emotion becoming fierce. She recognized it.  
  
Fury.  
  
Terrible, burning anger rose in Ella E, spreading to her limbs and her face, making her flush an angry red. She stared at the two in front of her. They were not only trying to kill her, but kill the people she cared about. She was angry at being trapped in this dark place. She was angry at the sickness that was flooding her system, bringing her closer to death. She was angry at the unreasonable demands of the Manachu. She was angry at the fact that the sacrifices and sufferings her friends had endured for her would amount to nothing.  
  
Ella E stood.  
  
"What's wrong? The little girl a little upset?" Kame said condescendingly. Max smirked.   
  
"I'm so frightened. After all, you're unarmed. And if your four friends couldn't beat us unarmed, how could one, pathetic girl?"  
  
Ella E could feel her hands trembling because of the rage that was burning within her. When she looked down at her hands, she found them glowing red. Contributing it to the rush of blood in her system, Ella E simply stared at the people in front of her. She stood bravely and steadily.  
  
"Oh..." Ella E heard the voice in her mind, the terrible, haunting voice. This was a emotion she had never heard before in it's fearsome tone. It was surprise and...fear. "I know now. I know why you, small one, could look me unblinking. Attack with no care for your life. You have it...you have what I was told about when I was young..."  
  
Ella E was too angry to care. She was going to kill the two in front of her. Kill them for killing so many others. Kill them for hurting her friends. Kill them for betraying her trust. Kill them for making her want to kill them. She wasn't listening. The voice did not make her tremble in fear as it usually did. It did not register any emotion in her head. Ella E was past emotion. She was past fear. All she could feel was hate.  
  
The terrible voice, so often so demanding and superior, now was reduced to a shocked and frightened whisper. "Saph's Fire..."  
  
Suddenly, Ella E could feel something in her brain break. She wasn't sure what it was. For all she knew it could of been her sanity. But she didn't care. With the thing broken, Ella E's hate flowed through her body. She could feel herself rising. She could feel the the last blockade dissapeare, the heat of her anger around her. She could see the luminescent glow of scarlet red in front of her, and she could see the ground below her.  
  
Kame and Max now looked frightened. They could see.  
  
"The big thing...it must be giving her power!" Kame said softly.  
  
"No...the Manachu's power is dark red...this is so bright..." Max could even adjust his glasses, although they were askew.  
  
Ella E's hair flew around her face, being pulled at by things she didn't know. She felt weightless. She felt free. She felt powerful. She felt ANGRY.  
  
"You DARE hurt my friends?!" Ella E said in a voice laden with spite. Kame's shaking hand released the knife, letting it clatter on the floor.  
  
"I will NOT allow who I care about to be injured! I will KILL you for this!"  
  
Max, in the panic and hysteria one often feels in front of an overwhelming force, suddenly felt a surge of courage. In times of stress, one will usually either run terrified or find a store of courage they didn't know they had. Fight or Flight. And in this case, Max's mind chose Fight.  
  
"You're just a girl! The Manachu is giving you power! But that doesn't mean you're invincible!" Max rushed at Ella E, holding his knife aloft. "Everything can die!"  
  
Ella E held her arms out to her sides, slowly raised one above her head, then the other. She closed her eyes.  
  
"That includes YOU."  
  
She felt her hatred in her body, and tried to concentrate it in her hands. This burning power she felt was raging out of control, but she knew she could control it. She could do this. She WOULD do this. For Drak. For Monty. For Caleb. For Colt.   
  
She pointed her hand at Max, inches away from her.  
  
"Never hurt that which I love!" she shouted, feeling as though her tongue had gotten out of her control. The anger was in her control. The Hate was hers.  
  
A burning blast of the energy shot into Max, and flew backwards. He sailed into the wall at the opposite side of the cavern, giving a short scream as he did so. Kame almost shrieked as she watched him fly away, trembling all over. She turned slowly.  
  
Ella E was on the ground again. She was walking towards Kame meaningfully, slowly, as if each footstep counted. The Energy was flying around her, looking as though it had a life of it's own.  
Monty was near her. He watched with wide-open and tearing eyes.  
  
"This can't be...real...an illusion..." he whispered.   
  
"Ella E..." Colt's pained voice strove to pierce the flux of hate around her, but Ella E's anger was too strong. Drak looked terrified, while Caleb was crying.  
  
"I sensed some in the Blind Boy...not enough to be considered significant, but something...and then, you...his cousin...have the power itself...able to be used..." the Manachu's awe-struck voice continued.  
  
Kame whimpered and tried to run. Ella E simply looked, and Kame froze, falling to the ground as if her muscles had stopped moving. The small girl walked over to Kame, picking her up as if she weighed nothing. The bigger girl was so terrified she could not speak. Ella E simply looked.  
  
"You hurt those who were innocent, hurt those who knew nothing of pain or death until you came and brutally ended their lives. You hurt those who knew of one thing, love, and would not die until they had done everything they could to fulfill the demands of such." Ella E's words felt strange and hollow, as if they came from somewhere else in her being.  
  
"I...I..." Kame stuttered, tears falling furiously from her eyes, reflecting the red of Ella E's fury. "I..."  
  
Ella E looked at Max, who was against the wall, unmoving.  
  
"Join your partner in death."  
  
Ella E turned in that direction, and Kame flew as if something had possessed her. The energy was eager for this chance at releasing itself, and Kame hit the wall with greater force then Max, slumping down over his body.  
  
Ella E, seeing justice done, could no longer see a reason to be angry. The red left as quickly as it came, as if someone had blown out a candle.  
  
Ella E collapsed and hit the stone floor.  
  
"Ella E!" Colt shouted, pushing with the strength of desperation at Reimia and Tashi, who rolled off him. "Ella!" he cried with a sound of both desperation and hopelessness. It was a sound of someone who knew they had been fighting their whole life for something, and then had just lost it.  
  
Monty, who was left speechless at the previous occurence, managed to struggle upwards and crawl towards the fallen girl. The cut on his head still bled, but he ignored it.  
Caleb scrambled over the rough floor, ignoring the scrapes and cuts it inflicted on his already heavily abused skin.  
  
Drak lifted himself upwards, keeping one hand to his neck to stifled the small cuts bleeding, the other to try and drag himself towards her.  
  
Colt was the only one who stood up totally, but only for a few seconds. His weakened and tired body feel quickly, and he made his way along with the others. It was him that reached her first.  
  
"Ella..." the concern in his voice was evident. He gently lifted her head into his lap, staring down at her.  
  
"What...what in the world was...that?" Monty said, still gasping. Drak held his hand to his neck, the other to his injured leg, which bled heavily. He chanced a look at his Mewtwo, and found the Gencey looking over it. It looked in as much pain as he did, which was appropriate. Caleb stared down at his "rival", the tears having slowed down some.  
  
"I don't care what it was...it saved us all. But...is she...she okay?" Caleb said softly. Colt was aware of the sound of breathing, the slow inhalation of the Manachu. He slammed his fist into the ground, not caring how much it hurt.  
  
"I would give her the stupid Growlithe if she would just be okay!" he said angrily to himself. Drak, taking one his bloodied hands, gently touched her face, leaving crimson streaks.  
  
"Ella E...Ella E please..." he said slowly. His voice showed as much pain as he was in. "Please be okay..."  
  
Caleb became aware of a presence near him, and turned. There was the Manachu's massive head, leaning down right next to them.  
  
"Are you asking whether she's alive?" it inquired in it's horrible voice. The four boys were in too much pain, emotional and physical, to care.  
  
"Is she?"  
  
"The Poison is taking affect. She has about 2 minutes until the poison stops her forever."  
The boys looked at eachother.  
  
"Can you stop it?" Drak asked urgently.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Then stop it!" Monty said angrily. "Stop it and make her live!"  
  
"Why?" it asked.  
  
Struck by the simple inquisitive nature of this question, Colt remembered what he had thought before. It had no soul...it had no concept of kindness or giving.  
  
"We gave you entertainment for a lifetime!" Colt said quickly. "Can you honestly say that letting her die will have been more fulfilling then watching this whole drama?"  
  
The Manachu paused.  
  
"I suppose. This does make me wonder about human nature. Perhaps your right, small one. Perhaps. I think I will help her."  
  
The Manachu's eyes flashed the dull, dark red, and Ella E's body shone for a brief moment.  
  
She remained in Colt's arms, unmoving.  
  
"It didn't work!" Caleb cried out. The Manachu sounded offended.  
  
"Of course it did. Wait."  
  
Caleb couldn't. He grabbed her left arm, where Static was still attached, and held it close to him.  
  
"Oh please...please..." he said painfully.   
  
Slowly, Ella E's green-blue eyes again opened, and she saw the four who had given their all for her. They all seemed relieved.  
  
"What..."  
  
"You're okay!" Colt said joyfully, with more happiness then he had ever felt in a long time, his blush going deeper. Ella E levered herself upwards, slowly.  
  
"What happened..."  
  
"I don't know..." Monty said, smiling through tears of utter relief. "I don't know, but you're okay, and that's all that matters."  
  
"Am I...alive?"  
  
"Yes. Yes..." Drak said with relief. "Although I don't know how much longer we'll last. We were injured..."  
  
"I know." Ella E tried to stand, but her legs refused to obey her. The others tried to stand, but Colt was the one with the most success. He caught her easily as she leaned backwards, supporting her. Ella E could feel, even as he was so badly injured, the strength and warmth in his arms. It reminded her of the time in the forest.  
  
"You shouldn't do such dangerous things, kid..." Monty said, trying to sound confidant, but instead sounding shaky and strained. He laughed nervously and put a hand on Ella E's head, ruffling her hair. She remembered him doing that ever since she first met him. The condescending attitude of affection...  
  
"Thank goodness you're okay!" Caleb said quickly, trying to sound cheerful. "I mean...it wouldn't be good for me to be without a fri...rival."  
  
Caleb had the same tone as always. Since they played as little children. The same forced tone. Trying to help everyone feel better while he felt worse.  
  
"What was that you did? You must be tired...it looked like it took a lot of energy." Drak said slowly. The voice of reason...the voice that always brought them back to reality when they strayed. A voice full of sadness and loneliness, but now full of life and hope.  
  
Ella E stood by herself and looked around.  
  
"I want my Growlithe." she said flatly. The others looked at her.  
  
"I've seen almost everything I could have possibly seen in this dark, evil place. I don't want to be here anymore. I want to get my Growlithe and be happy."  
  
"Is that the only thing that would make you happy?" Monty's voice said from behind her. Ella E's first impulse was to say Yes, then she realized the sad, longing tone in his voice.  
  
"I...I..."  
  
"This is all very interesting." the voice in their heads interupted them, shocking them back to reality, "But I am beginning to tire of this. I have enough to ponder about for a long time, and I wish to sleep."  
  
They all stared at the massive creature. It smirked at them.  
  
"So...go."  
  
It's eyes flashed dull red, and an instant later they were outside, on the grass, with the sun shining down on them.   
  
A new morning had dawned while they were down in the dark pit. They stared.  
  
"That was quick." Monty said, brushing himself off. The Mewtwo looked just as startled, it's mother looking around and dabbing it's small, fluffy paws at it's wounds. The Nyashock looked around and feigned interest, licking one paw and running it over it's long ears. Ever concerned with present matters, Drak looked thoughtful.  
  
"Are Kame and Max dead?" he asked bluntly. The others looked at him angrily, as if asking him to be a little more tactful, but with the life Drak had led he wasn't used to tact.  
  
"I...I...I don't know..." Ella E said slowly. She held a hand to her head, wondering to herself. "I think...I think they are...they looked like it...but I'm not sure."  
  
Behind them, there was a earth-shaking roar of a Onix.  
  
Colt scratched the back of his head, looking back.  
  
"Well, maybe it's better if Max lived. Maybe he'll find what's her name-"  
  
"Conkista." Caleb supplied. Colt basically ignored him.  
  
"And be happy. Maybe she can bring him back from where he was."  
  
"He was pretty far out...I don't know if anyone can bring him back." Drak said very seriously. The others were silent.   
  
"Kame had a sister..." Ella E said softly. The others looked at her, suprised to hear her speak again. "She had a sister...her name was....her name was Kotake...I wonder what she will think of her now."  
  
"If anyone ever finds Kame, I hope it's Kotake. I think no one knows her better then her." Caleb said.  
  
There was a low moan nearby. Everyone jumped, and Ella E almost screamed. At their feet, there was a mass of light hair.  
  
"No! It can't be Kame!" Caleb said, horrified. However, when she lifted her head, the girls hair was short and silver, not long and white. She blinked confused violet eyes.  
  
"Where...am I?"  
  
"Ashstar!" Ella E said, shocked. "Why did YOU come out with us?"  
  
Ashstar held a hand to her head and tried to push herself up.  
  
"Where am I? What happened...I don't understand..."  
  
"You..." Ella E was about to start berating the girl who layed in front of her, probably suffering a massive headache, when she caught the gaze of the four behind her. Caleb's was especially piercing. Ella E stared at the older girl in front of her...she remembered back to when she had first met her. She had helped Charles regain his trust in her, taught her how to treat her Pokémon correctly. She had given her advice and helped her train, staying by and waiting patiently as Ella E had learned how to raise her Pokémon. Ashstar wasn't a girl at all...she was a woman. A 24 year old woman who had killed her own Pokémon, but...but said she had repented. Had she? Had Ella E turned her back on everything because of one story that happened a long time ago? Ella E ignored everything right that Ashstar had done and only focused on the wrong. Why?  
  
Caleb reached over to Ella E's belt, and chose a Pokéball, letting it open on the ground. Out appeared Ella E's Bulbasaur, Charles. A Pokémon that suffered pain not only from it's trainer's neglect but at the hands of Onix's and numerous other things. A Pokémon that had once given Ella E a second chance when she didn't deserve one.  
  
Ella E looked at Caleb, but he just pointed to Charles. Ella E looked at her first Pokémon, and saw that it was near Ashstar, helping push her up.  
  
"Saur..." it said softly, nudging her upwards.  
  
"Thank you, Charles..." Ashstar smiled, her violet eyes tired and worn. Charles smiled at her rememberance of his name. She slowly pushed herself upwards, standing unsteadily. Ella E saw her Bulbasaur rub against her legs, and Ashstar leaned down and picked it up. Ella E watched, frightened that Ashstar would hurt Charles, but she picked him up correctly. She supported his backlegs and held him comfortably, where he rubbed against her chest.  
  
Ella E remembered that picture. When Ashstar had told Ella E that she wouldn't let her abuse Charles anymore.  
  
"Ashstar..." Ella E began. Ashstar looked at her.  
  
"I understand if you hate me for causing you all this much pain." Ashstar said softly, sounding so subdued and quiet that Ella E was surprised. "If I had just stayed away from you Ella E. If I had just accepted that you didn't want to see me anymore..."  
  
"What?" Ella E asked, looking confused. The others looked back and forth between the two girls.  
  
"I...I was sorry for what I did. I wanted to be friends with you again, Ella E. You're a good person, as I'm sure those behind you can affirm." Ashstar chanced a small smile. The four boys blushed, Colt's only becoming deeper. "I didn't want you to hate me..." Ashstar looked down and stroked Charles' forehead, listening to it croon.  
  
"Bulba..." it said happily.  
  
"I don't want anyone to hate me anymore...especially myself..." Ashstar no longer looked as if she was talking to Ella E, but more to herself. "I didn't want to feel hate anymore. I wanted to feel love, I wanted to feel needed, to help those like me...but after I left in the woods...I felt hate again. I still feel it now. For myself. I need you to forgive me...to make this hate go away before I become a wreck like I was..."  
  
A small tear glimmered on Ashstar's silver eyelashes, falling on Charles' bulb and fading away. Charles looked up, disturbed.  
  
"Saur?"  
  
"Please...Ella, please forgive me for lying to you. Not telling the truth. I'm so sorry...for this and everything I've done. Forgive me for telling those two about you, what I knew from the weeks I spent with you as you trained your first Pokémon. Forgive me for letting so many die..." Ashstar's voice cracked, and she clutched Charles closer, where he looked surprised. "I...It was me that was responsible for all those people in Vermillion dying...telling THEM where you were..."  
  
"It was no one's fault except their own." Drak's voice said calmly. "Kame and Max are responsible, neither you nor Ella E are."  
  
"Please...I'm sorry." Ashstar said softly, unable to even look at Ella E, flanked by her four friends. Ella E placed a hand on the softly sobbing girls shoulder.  
  
"It's okay, Ashstar." Ella E said, coughing weakly. "Really...I forgive you...I don't see any reason why I shouldn't..."  
  
Ashstar's face lit up, and Ella E could see the joy that she had seen before in her face rise again. Ashstar looked at her, handing her Charles.  
  
"Thank you."  
  
Ella E smiled.  
  
"That's the way you should be Ashstar." she said, sounding quite serious. "Not sad and alone and feeling sorry for yourself. You're not like that."  
  
"Yeah..." Ashstar agreed weakly.  
  
"You're a assertive, brave person!" Ella E smiled, feeling some of her old energy coming back. "You're like me!"  
  
Ashstar laughed softly and smiled.   
  
"Well...what do we do now?" Drak's voice said again, breaking the scene, as usual. Ella E looked at him. She thought hard, her body and mind tired from her recent exertions. She felt a tattered piece of paper in her pocket, and looked at it. It was worn and old, torn and faded. The picture of a Growlithe in mid-leap.  
  
"I need my Growlithe...That's what I want..." Ella E said, tracing the lines of the fire Pokémon's body with her fingers.  
  
"After you get it, then what?" Caleb asked. Ella E stared longingly at the picture she had, the only thing she had to keep her going.  
  
"Grow?" she heard behind her paper. She lowered it, and saw Colt's Growlithe sitting and staring at her, looking confused. "Grow grow?"  
  
She looked at Colt, who held the Pokéball out to her. She sat down slowly. She looked back and forth between the Pokémon of her dreams and the ex-Team Rocket member, still blushing.  
  
"I...I can't..." she said weakly. He took her hand and pressed the Pokéball into it.  
  
"Take it." he said simply. Ella E could not argue.  
  
"Do you wish to give your Growlithe a name?" she heard the mechanical voice of her Pokédex drone. Stunned beyond annoyance at the machine, she nodded. She sat down, and the Growlithe licked her dirty face, growling and snuffling happily. It felt the trust of it's trainer for the girl, and felt the love that it's new trainer had for it already. She felt warm where it's tongue touched her.  
  
Ella E tried to force her words out, words that were so easy to say before but seemed so strange and foreign now. Words that refused to come from sheer amazement at the fact they were going to be used.  
  
"Her name is...Growlissa."  
  
Her Pokédex beeped, and then was quiet. The Growlithe looked up at Colt who just nodded, looking pained. Growlissa sat on Ella E's lap, panting.  
  
"There. You have a Growlithe. Now what will you do?" Colt said. Ella E could recognize from his tone that he already missed his first Pokémon, but would never admit it.  
  
"I..." She looked at Ashstar for advice, but found her gone, only a faint glimmer of Silver far away a sign of where she was going. She looked up at the four earnest faces that were above her. Four who seemed to be waiting for an answer.  
  
"Are you going to go back home?" Caleb asked.   
  
"I'll get to the point." Drak said, his arms crossed. "We've been dancing around the issue for a while, so let's stop. You know how we feel about you."  
  
Ella E, remembering where Drak had been raised as an explanation for his direct manner, nodded.  
  
"My question...and I think the question on all our minds..." Drak looked at the others, who were shocked at his lack of manners. Drak didn't care. "is how you feel about us."  
  
"I..."  
  
Drak's eyes flashed a bright blue, and he mumbled something. Thanking the chance for this opportunity to gather her thoughts, Ella E waited. Drak finished.  
  
"Mewtwo says that he has long thought that Colt had payed off his debt. In fact, before we entered the cave. He thinks that Colt proved his worth by not only being observant enough to warn us when one of the killers was after us, but by not hurting the Mewtwo when it was a little..odd. Colt is no longer bound to it."  
  
Colt looked surprised, although he had suspected this for some time. Drak looked down.  
  
"That means the only one that has any real obligation to stay with you is me."  
  
"No." Ella E stood, letting Growlissa scramble off her. Drak blinked. She reached down then remembered something. She then took out her Pokédex and punched in a few numbers to her great distaste. She smiled as it beeped.  
  
"There. The Mewtwo is yours, Drak."  
  
"But..."  
  
"I can't take you two apart. You're one person, I know that now. I can't tear a person in half."  
  
"But..." Drak said uselessly, surprised.  
  
"You never answered Drak's question." Monty said. Ella E had hoped that she wouldn't have to. But they waited for her response. Ella E tried to pick her words.  
  
"I'm going to tell you my answer now..." Ella E said, trying to sound serious. "But don't interrupt me, cause this is important."  
  
The boys exchanged glances. They knew what happened when they interrupted Ella E. They remained quiet.  
  
"I'll start with you, Monty." she said seriously. Monty twitched, but didn't speak. Ella E walked over to him, staring up at him. Monty was taller then her and older then her, but she was stronger then he was.  
  
"Monty...no...Montgomery..."  
  
Again, Monty twitched at Ella E's use of his full name.  
  
"I like the way you remind me of how little I really am. I feel invincible sometimes, and that gets me in trouble. You remind me that I'm only a 10 yr old girl. You give useful advice and skepticism...you're a very important person. Not only to the group, but to me."  
Monty smiled, looking happy and proud of himself. He noticed Ella E walking off, and then watched intently. Ella E walked to Caleb. He looked up at her. The small boy with the scar across his face watched her with watchful, almost frightened eyes.  
  
"Caleb...you're not my rival. You never were. You're my friend. You helped me out of so many situations I can't count. You're always there to either take the blame for me or help me out something. You supported me when I needed you. You're my equal, Caleb."  
Caleb, surprised at these words, seemed to think hardest about her last statement. Equal? But he was so much shorter and weaker...  
  
"Drak..." Ella E had already moved onwards. She placed her hands on the boys shoulders, looking at him directly.  
  
"Drak, whenever everyone gets distracted, attracted by something else, you're always there to help remind us what we're doing. You're the voice of reason. You always think directly. You don't hide behind flowery words or nice phrases. You say your mind, you say how you feel. You're like me. You don't hide how you feel."  
  
Drak blinked and stared, still overwhelmed by what happened. Finally, Ella E looked at Colt. He looked down at her, his face still blushing furiously. Now it seemed to have afflicted his whole face, he was so embarrassed.  
  
"Colt...Colt you helped me when I was cold. Your strength and bravery helped us all, especially me, get through what happened. You're always the support we can always depend on. It doesn't matter to me what you're past is. I don't care. You're a good and decent person, and you deserve so much more then you got."  
  
Ella E sighed and turned away, walking over to Growlissa, who looked up at her.  
  
"But...regardless of the fact that you all are so different...I can't just choose." she turned and stared at the four, who were still amazed. "I can't just choose one of you as the one I love especially, the one who I'll devote my life to. I can't let the rest of you leave, because we're important together. Besides..." Ella E looked down. "I can't decide. You're all special in different ways. I can't..." Ella E struggled with words. "I can't...I need some time. I need some time to make my decision. When I'm older or maybe wiser I'll know. But I can't decide now."  
  
The four boys exchanged glances.   
  
They looked at the girl, who was kneeling and stroking the furry head of her new Growlithe.  
"I'm coming with you until you do decide." Drak said.   
  
"Me too."  
  
"Me too."  
  
"I won't let you go alone." Colt finished. Ella E looked at the four.   
  
"Until you really decide, we might as well come along with you and try to convince you which one of us REALLY deserves you." Caleb said, sounding more intellectual then he meant to.  
  
Ella E could already tell they were all thinking to themselves "Me.". She couldn't blame them...they had all done important things for her. She looked at her Growlithe, and She looked up at the dawning sun. She felt Caleb take her right hand, Monty take her left, and behind her Colt and Drak place a hand on each of her shoulders.  
  
The four boys and one girl stood in silence, staring as a sun rose, bringing with it light, warmth, and the new day.  
  
  
The End...? 


End file.
